KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 29 (Bernama) -- Malaysia’s pool of world-class bonsai expertise represents a significant and largely untapped opportunity to elevate the craft beyond a recreational pastime into a more professionalised and commercially viable industry to capitalise on rising international demand.
According to Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming, the country already possesses all the foundational elements required to transform bonsai into a high-value economic activity.
These include a deep reservoir of specialised knowledge, rich biodiversity, a talented community of bonsai artists and growing global interest in the art form.
Speaking on the sector’s potential, the Minister noted that under the National Landscape Industry Master Plan, Malaysia’s bonsai and landscape industry currently generates an estimated RM40 billion in annual economic value, with strong prospects for further expansion.
“Our Bonsai ecosystem needs to evolve from passion to production, from expertise to enterprise, and from hobby to industry, for us to be better recognised globally,” he said while officiating the 10th World Bonsai Convention 2026 at Pavilion Bukit Jalil here today.
He highlighted that the growing presence of overseas collectors from Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, India, and Singapore in search of both finished bonsai specimens and raw planting materials is clear evidence that international demand is already firmly established.
However, he said the sector has yet to realise its full potential, largely constrained by the limited supply of high-quality bonsai.
Nga observed that countries such as Japan, China, Taiwan, and South Korea have successfully evolved bonsai beyond individual collections into comprehensive ecosystems encompassing cultivation, nurseries, training programmes, exhibitions, tourism, trade and international exports.
Malaysia, he noted, possesses a strong base to develop a similar ecosystem. The Housing and Local Government Ministry (KPKT), through the National Landscape Department, is prepared to strengthen collaboration with bonsai associations, practitioners and industry stakeholders.
These collaborative efforts, he elaborated, would include exploring opportunities to integrate bonsai more deeply into Malaysia's broader landscape, horticultural and creative industry framework, spanning cultivation techniques, skills development, branding strategies, tourism linkages and international promotional campaigns.
“We want Malaysian bonsai to be admired not only for its beauty, but also recognised for its value, in the knowledge we preserve, the artists we empower, the entrepreneurs we create and the new opportunities we generate for Malaysians,” he said.
Nga said the convention, held once every four years and hosted by Malaysia for the first time, drew participants from over 40 countries.
He described the event as a potential launchpad for the next chapter of Malaysia's bonsai ecosystem, offering a strategic platform to catalyse further industry growth.
He also highlighted that Malaysia's bonsai community has continued to thrive since the establishment of the Malaysia Bonsai and Suiseki Society in 1988.
Today, more than ten bonsai associations are active nationwide, reflecting the craft's expanding reach and vibrancy across the country.
Over the past three decades, local practitioners have steadily refined their techniques and deepened their expertise, reinforcing Malaysia's standing as an emerging regional hub for bonsai development, knowledge exchange and commercial trade.
-- BERNAMA