KUALA LUMPUR: A new hybrid orchid has been named Vanda Halimah Yacob Mohamed in honour of Singapore's President Halimah Yacob and her husband, Mohamed Abdullah Alhabshee.
The hybrid orchid was created to commemorate Halimah's first official state visit to Malaysia starting yesterday.
The Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah and Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah graced the orchid-naming ceremony at Istana Negara.
The Vanda Halimah Yacob Mohamed, which has white petals with purple spots and a fragrant smell, is a cross between Vanda Kulwadee Fragrance and Vanda Tesselata.
Earlier, Halimah was given a state welcome at Istana Negara.
Her visit, at the invitation of Al-Sultan Abdullah, is to reciprocate His Majesty's state visit to Singapore in October 2022. — BERNAMA