Chinese President Xi Jin Ping concluded his 3-day visit to Malaysia on April 17 before he departed for Cambodia during his Southeast Asia tour. Before he left, transport minister Anthony Loke had the opportunity to give the Chinese President a souvenir.
In a short clip shared by the Deputy Minister of Communications, Teo Nie Ching, Anthony is seen giving a momento plaque – a Royal Selangor pewter with dragon carving to President Xi.
Netizens, however, had their attention on the surroundings and claimed the transport minister gave the souvenir to President Xi at the backdoor area.
Some social media users also mocked Anthony for allegedly giving a souvenir that was made in China to the Chinese President, claiming that the souvenir was sold for merely RM1,500 online.
At the DAP fundraising dinner last night (April 19) in Kedah, Anthony responded to the online mocking, saying there are reasons why he could only present the souvenir to President Xi near the backdoor, citing the latter’s safety as the major reason.
“Think about it. Does Xi Jinping, the leader of a major country, need to go through the back door?”
He explained, “This is for President Xi’s safety. He needed to get into the car as soon as possible after leaving the hotel, so we were allowed to give the souvenir at the underground parking lot.”
Was the souvenir made in China?
In response to the claims about the origin of the souvenir, Anthony said it was a 100% Malaysian-made pewter by Royal Selangor, reported Sin Chew.
According to him, President Xi was pleased with the gift, but not only that, the latter was also amazed by the hospitality from the Malaysian leaders during his visit to the country.
A total of 31 memorandum of understanding (MoU) were signed, including the long-term visa exemption between Malaysia and China, which allows Malaysians to visit China without a visa. More Chinese tourists are also expected to visit Malaysia.
You can go through the complete list of signed MoUs on Prime Minister Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s recent social media posts.
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