CHENGDU, May 20 — Fengyi and Fuwa, the pair of panda ambassadors which will begin their 10-year stay in Malaysia, are “granted” a Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) certificate.

With the MM2H “visa”, the pandas were entitled to “leave and enter” Malaysia on a largely unrestricted basis during their 10-year stay in Malaysia, just like the MM2H participants, bantered Malaysia’s Natural Resources and Environment Deputy Minister Datuk Dr James Dawos Mamit.

Under the Tourism Ministry’s MM2H programme, non-Malaysian participants are permitted a 10-year renewable visa and various other privileges.

“The idea was initiated by Tourism Malaysia, and it is indeed our honour to give them the certificate,” Dawos told Malaysian reporters when visting the Dujiangyan base of China Conservation and Research Centre (panda base) today.

“Currently, the two giant pandas are the first “animal” which receive the MM2H visa,” he added.

Asked if the MH370 tragedy had portrayed a negative image of the country, Dawos said the incident had affected the families and relatives of the passengers involved, but Malaysia was still maintaining a cordial relationship with Chinese citizens.

Meanwhile, giant panda keeper, Yang Kaidi, 29 said both Fengyi and Fuwa did not show any unusual sign today.

“Maybe they have already adapted to the situation of being transferred from one place to another,” he said.

Asked if the pandas would suffer airsickness en route to Malaysia, Yang expressed confidence that the two would have a smooth journey, and said the keeper and veterinarian would monitor their condition.

As part of the “Olympic Pandas”, both Fengyi and Fuwa were transferred from the Wolong panda base to Beijing in 2008.

They were then transferred from the Bifengxia panda base in Ya’an to the Dujiangyan, both in Sichuan province, in February.

Being among the 10 officers who will accompany the two precious treasures, Yang said the travelling crate in the cargo plane was filled with bamboo, bamboo shoots, carrots, apples, panda cakes and mineral water.

A Chinese veterinarian, Li Caiwei, 33 who has been accompanying Fengyi since 2007, said both Fengyi and Fuwa were in good and healthy condition.

Fengyi and Fuwa, both born on Aug 23, 2006, currently weigh 106kg and 120kg respectively.

They are expected to arrive at Kuala Lumpur International Airport at 6am tomorrow. — Bernama