PUTRAJAYA: The dragon carving souvenir recently presented to Chinese President Xi Jinping was a personal gift and not an official government representation, Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook said.
Loke, who is also DAP secretary-general, said the souvenir was a Malaysian-made item from Royal Selangor and given as a token of appreciation, adding that the matter should not be blown out of proportion.
“It was a personal gift (to Xi), I never said it represented the government,” he told reporters after the monthly assembly of the Ministry of Transport (MoT) and the ‘MADANI 2025 Raikan Kasih’ event here today.
Recently, Loke had presented a plaque featuring a dragon carving to Xi before the Chinese President departed for Cambodia after a three-day state visit to Malaysia from April 15 to April 17.
Following that, Loke faced criticism for presenting the gift near the back entrance and for the choice of a dragon motif, which some deemed inappropriate.
However, Loke clarified in a post on his official Facebook page that the gift presentation near the back entrance was made for security reasons, and that the dragon symbolises strength, wisdom and friendship in Chinese culture.
