Pokok Kiambang
Kiambang Flower or The Floating Flower-also known as the Floating Lettuce, blooms widely in tropical countries and can be seen covering the surface of lakes or water in clusters. Thanks to its distinct characteristics and nature, Kiambang plays a significant role in representing the Malay mindset, philosophy, and values.
The flower is used a lot in Malay pantun – as a reflective metaphor, embodying the Malay aesthetic values as a prudent speaker to convey meanings or to make a statement relaying a specific purpose as seen above.
An independent, glorious plant that can stand alone beautifully yet still able to unite and co-exist or co-sharing the space with each other truly captures the essence of the Malays. The current slogan of ‘Keluarga Malaysia’ can be seen in the way Kiambang expressed its true nature.
Despite hit by major challenges-like Kiambang when the boat passed, will quickly reconnect with each other and come together, creating still a beautiful picture in the water. With that in mind, Kiambang is an ideal flower to be eternalized as one of the motifs developed to represent Malaysia’s identity.
Apart from its aesthetic values, Kiambang also possesses medicinal properties and other healing benefits bringing goodness to not just humans or animals but the entire ecosystem. It can be a dish in cooking, as food for animals, organic fertilizer due to its high Kalium content as well as medicine for stomach or digestive related issues, regulate healthy menstruation cycle and reduce inflammation.
In general it’s not just a stunning plant, beautiful to see. It makes itself useful to its community, serve the entire humanity and staying true to its purpose.
As a motif, the flower is expressed in a single blooming head, with two thin lines appearing like arms stretching out and slightly curled at the tips, providing balance to the structure with its skirt like base appearance.
/
