KUALA LUMPUR, April 22 -- Transport Minister Anthony Loke has clarified that a commemorative plaque presented to Chinese President Xi Jinping last week was a personal gift, not an official offering.

Speaking after an event in Putrajaya, Loke, who is also the DAP secretary-general, said the souvenir was locally made by Royal Selangor and did not carry any government endorsement.

"The souvenir was a personal gift, and I did not say that it was a gift from the government," he was quoted as saying in a New Straits Times report today.

He stressed that the gesture should not be blown out of proportion and was done in good faith.

The plaque, engraved with a dragon motif, was given to Xi on April 17 before his departure to Cambodia following ...