Malaysia is looking forward to its first pair of giant pandas, rented from China, by the end of the year, six months ahead of schedule, officials said Friday.

Natural Resources and Environment Minister Douglas Uggah Embas said Prime Minsiter Najib Razak had requested to bring forward the schedule.

Speaking at the launching of the construction of the panda exhibition center, he said the bringing of pandas to Malaysia is " symbolic enough" to demonstrate the close relations between Malaysia and China.

"It is not only good for the national zoo, not only for panda fans, but also for our trade and diplomatic relationship between the two countries," he said.

Malaysia signed a deal with China to lease a pair of giant pandas for ten years, as a part of the plan to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the establishment of foreign relations between the two countries in 2014.

Douglas said he was confident that the exhibition center would be completed within six months. Meanwhile, Malaysia will send technicians to China to learn more about the caretaking of the pandas.

The naming competition has attracted more than 2,000 suggestions, he added.

Abdul Latif Mohmod of the Forest Research Institute of Malaysia told Xinhua that samples of five kinds of homegrown bamboo of Malaysia had been sent to China for testing.

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