PM Lee unveils orchid named after President Obama and his wife at White House state dinner

[babylonsister]

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PM Lee unveils orchid named after President Obama and his wife at White House state dinner


WASHINGTON - United States President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle now have a Singapore-grown orchid named after them.

The Dendrobium Barack and Michelle Obama was unveiled by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at the White House state dinner in their honour on Tuesday night (Wednesday morning, Singapore time).

"To mark the 50th anniversary of our relations, Singapore has named an orchid hybrid in honour of President and Mrs Obama," PM Lee said.

The Dendrobium Barack and Michelle Obama is a cross between two hybrids: the Hawaiian Dendrobium Pink Lips and Singapore's Dendrobium Sunplaza Park. PHOTO: MCI

The toast to the presidential couple came with a quip about the conspiracy theories in the US that claim President Obama was actually born in Kenya.

"This is a hybrid of breeds native to Singapore and Hawaii, where the President was born, most of us believe," said PM Lee to laughter from the dinner guests, who included prominent US politicians and members of the Singapore delegation.


Dendrobium Barack and Michelle Obama is a cross between two hybrids: the Hawaiian Dendrobium Pink Lips and Singapore's Dendrobium Sunplaza Park. Each spray bears just over a dozen yellow blooms with purple lips.

The National Parks Board described the new hybrid as a "vigorous and free flowering" bloom.

[misterhighwasted]

1. Beautiful Orchid. "Vigorous & Free.."

he National Parks Board described the new hybrid as a "vigorous and free flowering" bloom.

[lostnfound]

2. Beautiful orchid and fitting tribute for an elegant and graceful First Family

That's nice. I want one.

[Baitball Blogger]

3. Good choice.

Anyone have a close-up of the orchid?

[REP]

4. That's unusual; usually Cattleyas are named for First Ladies

I'm not aware of a presidential Dendrobium.

This is a Spatulata section dendrobium, like antennatum.

[Gabi Hayes]

5. sorry, but FUCK that guy and his unbelievably repressive regime, along with the orchid he gave us.

https://www.hrw.org/news/2010/01/20/singapore-textbook-example-repressive-state

Human Rights Watch said in its World Report 2010, released today, that
"Singapore remains the textbook example of a politically repressive state," said Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch. "Individuals who want to criticize or challenge the ruling party's hold on power can expect to face a life of harassment, lawsuits, and even prison."

Freedom to express views publicly continues to be largely limited to the tiny Speaker's Corner in the city-state, while any procession or assembly for a "cause-related activity" must have prior police approval under the Public Order Act of 2009.

Draconian laws such as the Internal Security Act (ISA), Criminal Law (Temporary Provisions) Act (CLA), Misuse of Drugs Act (MDA), and Undesirable Publications Act remain available to the government to muzzle peaceful critics. In December 2009, three long-time government critics-Dr. Chee Soon Juan, Chee Siok Chin, and Gandhi Ambalam-were convicted of distributing flyers critical of the government. After refusing to pay fines, all three were sentenced to short prison terms.

But appearance-conscious Singapore sometimes forgoes criminal prosecution in favor of other forms of harassment, such as defamation suits seeking punitive damages that snagged the Wall Street Journal and the Far Eastern Economic Review, restrictions on publication licenses under the longstanding Newspaper and Printing Presses Acts, and enforcement actions limiting rights.