KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 18 — The Yang diPertuan Agong Tuanku Abdul Halim Mu’adzam Shah and Raja Permaisuri Agong Tuanku Haminah Hamidun visited pandas Xing Xing and Liang Liang at the Giant Panda Conservation Centre in Zoo Negara yesterday. 

They arrived at 10am and were welcomed by Deputy Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Dr James Dawos Mamit, Zoo Negara president Datuk Seri Zaharin Md Arif and ministry officials. 

The King and Queen, accompanied by the ministry officials, boarded a tram to the centre and were briefed by the ministry’s secretary-general, Datuk Seri Zoal Azha Yusof. 

They were then taken on a private tour of the centre.

Tuanku Abdul Halim and Tuanku Haminah was seen observing the panda duo and fed male panda Xing Xing apples during their 20-minutes walkabout at the centre. 

The centre had received 82,597 visitors from its opening on June 28 to August 31.

The giant pandas had been loaned to Malaysia under the Giant Panda International Conservation Coorperation Agreement Programme in conjunction with the 40th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Malaysia and China. They  arrived on May 21.

They were previously named Fu Wa and Feng Yi and were later given “local” names — Xing Xing and Liang Liang.

The centre, which costs RM25 million to build, is funded by Putrajaya and 1Malaysia Development Berhad.