KOTA KINABALU: The Duke and
Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William and Kate Middleton, arrived here Friday
and were greeted by a traditional welcome of the rhythmic beating of tonggungak
or bamboo percussion instruments.
The special aircraft
carrying the royal couple touched down at 7.50pm at the Kota Kinabalu
International Airport.
Adding colour to their
welcome were some 20 youths dressed in traditional costumes of Sabah's
indigenous communities, each holding a bunga manggar.
Scores of people waited
anxiously outside the fenced area of the airport to get a glimpse of the royal
couple despite a brief downpour.
The couple were later driven
to the Shangri-La Tanjung Aru Beach Resort where they were treated to a
reception hosted by the Sabah state government.
The couple will fly via
helicopter to Danum Valley in Sabah's east coast on Saturday where they will
walk in one of the world's oldest rainforest dating back some 130 million
years.
They will attend a briefing
by scientists who have been carrying a variety of programmes at the 438 sq km
conservation area that is about twice the size of Penang island.
Among the ongoing research
are studies on the hydrological and geomorphological aspects of Danum, climate
monitoring as well as those related to forest dynamics.
Many of the research
programmes dating back to 1984 are being carried out under the Royal Society's
South East Asia Rainforest Research Programme (SEARRP).
The couple will also be
crossing Danum's famed canopy walkway.
Malaysia is the royal
couple's second destination after Singapore on their nine-day tour of the Far
East as representatives of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in conjunction with
the celebration to mark the 60-year reign of the Queen of England.
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