Fadhlina said the Chinese school involved, located in Air Itam, made the report to counter the false claim.
She added that the visitors were in fact university students from China and not Chinese navy crew members as alleged and that the visit was part of a cultural and sports exchange programme to mark 50 years of diplomatic relations between Malaysia and China.
Fadhlina said that the event, which involved 165 lecturers and students from China’s Naval University of Engineering, had received the necessary permission from the authorities.
“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 Seberang Perai.
“The misinformation has caused significant confusion and concern within the community,” she added.
Earlier today, Perikatan Nasional’s Indera Mahkota MP Saifuddin Abdullah questioned the warm welcome given to two Chinese navy ships that docked in Penang last Saturday, given the ongoing concerns about China’s activities in Malaysian maritime zones.
He also criticised the move to allow the Chinese crew members to visit a school, asking why the particular school was chosen.
Saifuddin, who served as the foreign minister in Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s administration, said the government should be more sensitive and mindful of public sentiment.
The two Chinese navy vessels – Qi Jiguang and JingGangShan – docked in Penang on Saturday on a three-day goodwill visit intended to enhance mutual trust between the naval forces of China and Malaysia.
Media had reported that the crew members visited a private high school in Penang and also made courtesy calls to some local officials.
Rescued GISBH children doing well
Separately, Fadhlina said the children rescued from the Global Ikhwan Services and Business Holdings (GISBH) crackdown are doing well and are now attending classes under the special education programme provided by the ministry.
She said the children were under the care of social welfare department counsellors with education authorities keeping a watchful eye on them.