KUALA LUMPUR: The loan agreement for the two giant pandas, Fu Wa and Feng Yi, at Zoo Negara, has been extended between China and Malaysia, says Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad.
He said the pandas remain a symbol of close friendship between Malaysia and China.
"We have started the extension regarding the pandas. They draw many visitors to Zoo Negara, which is why the government supports keeping them there," he said on Monday (March 24) at the Concorde Club meeting.
The Concorde Club is an informal gathering of editors and senior journalists with politicians, policymakers and key opinion leaders.
Previous guests of the Concorde Club, led by Bernama chairman Datuk Seri Wong Chun Wai, included senior ministers and government leaders.
When asked if the agreement was for the existing pandas or new ones, Nik Nazmi said that the Cabinet on June 28, 2024, agreed to continue the Giant Panda Conservation Project Agreement, which involves the return of the existing pair and the acceptance of a younger new pair.
"This matter has also been previously agreed upon by the RRC (China's State Forestry Administration)," he said.
Fu Wa and Feng Yi, the two giant pandas at Zoo Negara, were loaned from China to Malaysia on May 21, 2014, marking the 40th anniversary of Malaysia-China relations.
Ten years have passed, and Zoo Negara hopes for at least a two-year extension of the panda loan.
Zoo Negara was previously recognised by the Chinese government as one of the world's best caretakers of giant pandas.
Fu Wa and Feng Yi, renamed Xing Xing and Liang Liang, have had three offspring: Nuan Nuan, born on Aug 18, 2015; Yi Yi, on Jan 14, 2018; and Sheng Yi born on May 30, 2021.
All three panda cubs have been returned to China as part of the agreement between Malaysia and China.
