PETALING JAYA: Tourism Malaysia’s recently unveiled Visit Malaysia 2026 (VM2026) sun bear mascots, Wira and Manja, received a collective “awww” from Malaysians.
Malaysians were immediately enamoured with the cute pair on social media, asking where they could get anything with two sun bears on them.
On Facebook, Saiful Firdaus Sulaiman wrote: “Sooo ccuuuutteeee. Products include fluffy bear ear hats with Malaysian batik ribbons and topi bulu² telinga beruang + ribbon from Dr Batik Malaysia.
Wira and Manja were selected as the nation’s dedication to wildlife protection, according to Tourism Malaysia.
Both were intended to appear amiable and lively when dressed in batik-themed clothing.
The female bear, Manja, has a batik sash and bow, and the male bear, Wira, has a batik scarf.
The usage of sun bears as mascots was also endorsed by another Facebook user, Fatina Najwa.
A similar batik theme was also used to create the VM2026 logo.
“Using the sun bears is adorable. Why not? This bear is different from others. We always utilize tigers, mousedeer, or orangutans. It’s time for a change. Since tapirs are exclusive to our nation, I encourage us to use them as well,” she remarked.
She went on to say that the logo and mascots were charming and reminiscent of a fairy tale.
Several individuals also inquired whether Wira and Manja plush toys were available.
This was even more adorable than Labubu dolls, according to one of them.
The tiniest, least well-known, and rarest of all bear species are sun bears, commonly called honey bears because of their fondness for honey.
They have a white or golden patch on their chest that resembles a bib.
Sun bears are threatened by a number of factors, including habitat degradation, population fragmentation, and poaching for traditional medicines and delicacies, just like many other species.
Because of their adorable appearance, some have even been unlawfully kept as pets – The Star
