PETALING JAYA: The 1,600 Pandas World Tour made its debut in Malaysia on Sunday morning, in a bid to increase awareness on animal welfare and environmental conservation.

The adorable panda sculptures, created by French sculptor Paulo Grangeon, were paraded at Dataran Merdeka to much fanfare and excitement among visitors.

Present to witness the launch of the tour in Malaysia was Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Mah Siew Keong, Tourism and Culture Ministry secretary-general Datuk Dr Ong Hong Peng and Chinese ambassador to Malaysia His Excellency Huang Huikang.

The pandas will make stopovers at 15 iconic landmarks throughout Malaysia as part of the tour, themed “Initiating the Culture of Creative Conservation”.

-thestar