Chinese Ambassador to Malaysia Bai Tian visited the Giant Panda Conservation Centre (GPCC) of Zoo Negara today. ― Bernama pic

KUALA LUMPUR, May 26 ― An online competition will be held soon to name the second Malaysia-born giant panda cub, said Chinese Ambassador to Malaysia Bai Tian.

“We will discuss with the relevant ministry to give the social media users the chance to name the baby panda,” he told reporters at the baby panda’s first public appearance at the Giant Panda Conservation Centre (GPCC) of the National Zoo here today.

He said the birth of the second giant panda on January 14 was a symbol of friendship between China and Malaysia.

Meanwhile, Zoology, Hospital & Veterinarian Services & GPCC director Dr Mat Naim Ramli said the four-month-old female cub now weighed nine kg and was in a good health.

He said the cub would be placed in a glass room from 11am to 12.30 pm and 2pm to 3.30pm daily for public viewing before joining her parents in the open display area in two months' time.

The baby panda is the second offspring of giant pandas Xing Xing and Liang Liang which were loaned by the Chinese government to Malaysia for 10 years.

Liang Liang gave birth to its cub naturally at 7.50am, 89 days after insemination on October 18, 2017.

The cub's sister Nuan Nuan, was born on August 18, 2015 at GPCC, about 15 months after the arrival of her parents in Malaysia on May 21, 2014.

Nuan Nuan could only stay in Malaysia for two years before being sent back to Chengdu, China on November 14 last year in accordance with the Malaysia-China Giant Panda International Conservation Agreement. ― Bernama