PETALING JAYA: Malaysians expressed a collective "awww" to Tourism Malaysia's recently revealed Visit Malaysia 2026 (VM2026) sun bear mascots - Wira and Manja.
The adorable duo were an instant hit among Malaysians on social media who asked where they could get their hands on merchandise featuring two sun bears.
Saiful Firdaus Sulaiman commented on Facebook: "Sooo ccuuuuttteeee. Merch blh buat topi bulu² telinga beruang + ribbon dr batik Malaysia (The merch can be furry bear ear hats with Malaysian batik ribbons).
According to Tourism Malaysia, Wira and Manja were chosen as the country’s commitment to wildlife conservation.
Both were designed to look playful and friendly while wearing batik-themed attire.
Wira, the male bear, wears a batik scarf while Manja, the female wears a batik sash and bow.
Another Facebook user Fatina Najwa also approved of the sun bears being used as mascots.
The VM2026 logo was also designed with a similar batik motif.
"It’s cute we are using the sun bears. Why not? It’s a unique kind of bear. We always use orangutans and tigers or mousedeers. Time for a change. I welcome us to use our tapirs too because they are unique to our country," she said.
She added that the mascots and logo were pretty and felt like something out of a fairytale.
Several users also asked if there were plushies of Wira and Manja for sale.
One of them even commented that this was even cuter than Labubu dolls.
Sun bears, also known as honey bears for their love of honey, are the smallest, least well-known and one of the rarest of all the bear species.
They have a bib-shaped golden or white patch on their chest.
Like many other species, sun bears face various threats, such as habitat loss, population fragmentation, and poaching for traditional medicines and delicacies.
Some have even been illegally kept as pets due to their cute appearance.
