Petrosains opens DinoTrek2 exhibition at Kuching Civic Centre
KUCHING: There’s never been a time when dinosaurs didn’t elicit excitement from children and adults alike, and the yearlong DinoTrek2 exhibition by Petrosains at Kuching Civic Centre is sure to enthral young and old.
It was launched yesterday by State Secretary Tan Sri Datuk Amar Mohd Morshidi Abdul Ghani.
The exhibition, which will run until the end of March 2019, will give Kuching residents the opportunity to come face-to-face with some of the most ferocious dinosaurs, Tyrannosaurus Rex and Spinosaurus.
The DinoTrek2 exhibition is a component of the permanent Petrosains PlaySmart Science Centre to be established by Petronas in Sarawak.
The permanent Petrosains PlaySmart Science Centre to be set up at Kuching Civic Centre is expected to be ready by the end of 2019.
Petrosains DinoTrek is a travelling dinosaur exhibition which was first held at KLCC in 2003 and has travelled to many states in Malaysia including Sabah, Kedah, Johor, Terengganu, Pahang and Penang.
It has nine animatronic dinosaurs, 12 interactive exhibits and offers hands- on interactive activities.
Among the highlights of the exhibition are the Maiasaurus dinosaur protecting its eggs, the Protoceratops defending its young from the Velociraptor and the stance of the most ferocious of dinosaurs, the Tyrannosaurus Rex.
Speaking at the launch, Morshidi said that the cooperation between the state government through the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports and Petronas through Petrosains will help support the state’s social agenda to build a society that is educated and socially adept.
“Collaborative efforts such as what we are witnessing today have to be continuously implemented to sensitise the public towards learning and spark the interest towards the fields of science and technology. We hope to engage more Sarawak citizens especially the younger generation to be interested and involved in science and technology, which will eventually help to propel Sarawak to higher development and growth,” he said.
Meanwhile, chairperson of the Petrosains Board and senior general manager of Petronas Group Strategic Communications Zahariah Abdul Rahman said the DinoTrek2 exhibition and later the Petrosains PlaySmart are commitments and contributions by Petronas in the area of informal education to the people of Sarawak.
“They are both examples of how we can work together with the public sector to come up with programmes that can benefit the public by providing a platform to educate on subject matters such as the sciences in an informal and interesting setting.”
Other than the dinosaurs, Petrosains DinoTrek2 also has interactive activities, allowing the process of discovery and hands-on learning for visitors.
The educational approach brought by Petrosains DinoTrek2 is the first of its kind in Malaysia and will definitely attract the attention of students and families.
Petrosains DinoTrek2 opens Tuesday to Sunday from 9am to 5pm. Admission is free.