KEPALA BATAS: A Chinese school in Air Itam on the Penang island had allowed the visit of university students from China and not crew members of the Chinese Navy, says Fadhlina Sidek.
The Education Minister clarified that the visit of 165 lecturers and students from China’s Naval University of Engineering was part of a cultural and sports exchange programme to celebrate the 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 after officiating the closing of the National Education Management Conference here yesterday.
Chung Ling Private High School has since lodged a police report to refute claims that crew members of the Chinese Navy were among the visitors to the school on Monday.
Fadhlina said the visit had received official approval from the relevant authorities, adding that the misinformation led to confusion and concern within the community.
Her comments come following the statement by Indera Mahkota MP Datuk Seri Saifuddin Abdullah, who questioned the warm reception given to two Chinese Navy ships that had made a stopover in Penang.
He raised concerns about China’s ongoing activities in the disputed territories of South China Sea, of which Malaysia is one of the claimants.
He also criticised the decision to allow Chinese naval crew members to visit a school, and questioned why the particular school was chosen.
Saifuddin, a former foreign minister, urged the government to be more cautious and attuned to public sentiment.
The two Chinese Navy vessels, the training ship Qi Jiguang and the amphibious dock landing ship JinggangShan, had arrived in Penang for a three-day goodwill visit aimed at strengthening ties between China and Malaysia.
