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PUTRAJAYA: Any decision to return giant pandas to China must take into account the agreement signed between Malaysia and China, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Shamsul Anuar Nasarah said today.
He said the government took note of calls from the public and associations for the giant pandas to be returned to China due to high maintenance costs.
The International Malaysia-China Giant Panda Conservation Agreement through the China Wildlife Conservation Association (CWCA) was signed for a period of 10 years starting in 2014, the year the giant panda pair, Xing Xing and Liang Liang, came to Malaysia.
“China’s agreement to lend the giant pandas to Malaysia demonstrates the special relationship between the two countries since diplomatic relations were established in 1974,” it said in a statement.
Through an agreement signed between the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan) and the Malaysian Zoological Society (MZS) on June 22, 2013, the government is responsible for developing the Giant Panda Conservation Center (PKGP) at the Negara Zoo and fund the annual panda conservation fees, he said.
MZS is responsible for insurance coverage, panda child fees, repatriation costs and operating costs, he said.
“However, as a sign of concern, the government has funded the fees for panda cubs and the cost of repatriation of the first cub, Nuan Nuan in 2017, as well as the cost of having an expert from China stationed at PKGP,” he said . .
Shamsul added that the second cub, Yi Yi, who turned two years old on January 14, should have been sent back to China in April, but the measure was postponed because the conservation center in China remains closed due to the Covid pandemic. 19.
“The ministry will repatriate Yi Yi as soon as possible once China agrees on the date,” he said, adding that each giant panda cub must be sent back to China once it is two years old.
