By Dayangku Hidayatul
KUCHING, Aug 21: Japanese painter Izumi Nishimura has presented her orangutan-themed oil paintings, which took her 15 years to complete, to the Sarawak government.
One of the featured works depicts a newborn orangutan climbing an acacia tree in a planted forest, symbolising its search for its mother.
Deputy Minister of Urban Planning, Land Administration and Environment Datuk Len Talif Salleh, who received the painting at a simple handover ceremony at Wisma Sumber Alam this morning, emphasised the importance of conserving orangutan habitats in Sarawak.
“Even though we want to stimulate our economy, we also want to ensure that the environment is protected, as outlined in the Post Covid Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030,” he said.
Currently, an estimated 2,500 orangutans inhabit Sarawak, with significant populations in Lanjak Entimau Wildlife Sanctuary, Batang Ai National Park, Ulu Sebuyau National Park and Sedilu National Park.
Len Talif shared that Nishimura, an artist with 40 years of experience, worked closely with the Japan-Malaysia Association (JMA) and the Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC) to facilitate the presentation of the artwork.
The painting handed over today forms part of a five-panel masterpiece that will later be presented to Sarawak Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg.
Nishimura’s work was made possible through the full sponsorship of her son, who happens to be a renowned Japanese actor Kōhei Matsushita.
Also present were JMA chairman Takuji Arai, JMA Sarawak coordinator Kazue Sakai, SFC chief executive officer Abang Arabi Abang Aimran and SFC Corporate Communications executive Tabari Udie. — DayakDaily
