KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia is looking into extending the period of stay of the two giant pandas Xing Xing and Liang Liang at Zoo Negara, says Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Anwar said he would reach out to China’s President Xi Jinping as soon as both pandas are due to be returned.
“I will take it up with the Chinese government, particularly President Xi Jinping, to see if there is a mechanism to extend the period of the panda staying in Malaysia.
"Knowing our excellent relations between the two countries, I am rather optimistic that they will give due consideration to support our proposal," he said in his speech at the Zoo Negara's Diamond Jubilee in conjunction with its 60th Anniversary celebration here on Saturday (Jan 27).
Also present were Deputy Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Datuk Seri Huang Tiong Sii, Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari, Zoo Negara deputy president Datuk Rosly Lana and Chinese ambassador to Malaysia Ouyang Yujing.
When asked about the high maintenance of the two pandas, the Prime Minister said while he acknowledged that, the presence of Xing Xing and Liang Liang at the Zoo Negara had become an attraction that many Malaysians look forward to.
"We don’t pay for the pandas, just the maintenance. If we notice, many people come to the zoo to see the pandas because not all Malaysians can afford to go to China to see giant pandas.
"For some Malaysians, seeing them (the pandas) here is a once in a lifetime opportunity.
"I understand that the fees for managing the pandas and their food are expensive but for now, we are looking at the benefits for zoo visitors," he said later when met by the media.
