KEPALA BATAS: A school in Penang has lodged a police report to refute claims that it was visited by Chinese navy crewmembers.
Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek said the report was filed by the Chinese school in Air Itam and clarified that visitors to the school were university students from China.
She said the visit by 165 lecturers and students from China's Naval University of Engineering was part of a cultural and sports exchange programme celebrating 50 years of diplomatic relations between Malaysia and China.
"The claim that Chinese navy officers (and crew) visited the school is completely false.
"It was a cultural exchange event involving university students and a local Chinese school," she told reporters in Bertam here on Thursday (Oct 10).
Fadhlina added that the visit had received official approval from the relevant authorities and that the misinformation had led to confusion and concern within the community.
Earlier, Indera Mahkota MP Datuk Seri Saifuddin Abdullah had questioned the warm reception given to two Chinese navy ships that docked in Penang last Saturday.
The former foreign minister raised concerns about China's ongoing activities in Malaysian maritime zones and criticised the decision to allow Chinese crew members to visit a school, questioning why that particular school was chosen.
Saifuddin urged the government to be more cautious and attuned to public sentiment.
The two Chinese navy vessels, Qi Jiguang and Jinggangshan, had arrived in Penang for a three-day goodwill visit aimed at strengthening trust between the naval forces of China and Malaysia.
Media reports mentioned that the crew members visited a private high school in Penang and made courtesy visits to local officials.
