The Embassy of China in Malaysia has urged one and all not to "over-interpret" ambassador Huang Huikang’s donation to a number of Chinese schools in Johor after the issue came into the spotlight.

In an e-mail reply to Malaysiakini , the embassy said that since Huang began his posting in Malaysia, he has visited Chinese schools in various states and made symbolic donations in the form of books and musical instruments.

“This is to show the government of China’s support for the effort Malaysia has made in promoting Chinese education, as well as a gift to the Malaysian government and people from all walks of life.

"The ambassador went to Paloh and attended a Chinese New Year (CNY) open house and visited a Paloh Chinese school this time; it's a normal CNY greeting activity and it need not be over-interpreted," the e-mail reply states.

According to local Chinese dailies, Huang was invited by Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein to attend the CNY open house in Paloh, a small town in Johor, last Sunday.

During the event, Huang ( photo ) made a donation of RM40,000 to eight Chinese primary schools under Hishammuddin's constituency of Sembrong.

News of the donation, however, drew mixed responses.

Political analyst Tang Ah Chai had said the high-profile donation is a friendly gesture and is perhaps a "suggestion" for the Malaysian government to follow suit.

While it may not have breached diplomatic convention, Lam Choong Wah, a senior fellow with non-profit Research for Social Advancement, pointed out the move could be seen as insensitive by Umno.

Deputy Education Minister and MCA Youth chief Chong Sin Woon had urged critics not to be "too negative" , pointing out that although China is prosperous, many Malaysians still made donations to the country for educational purposes.

Hishammuddin has also asked critics not to politicise it, saying that he welcomed the donation , as long as there were no strings attached.

'Good neighbour'

Malaysia’s Chinese education system - from primary up to tertiary - has raised a high number of elites and is one of the top models in Southeast Asia and the world, the Embassy of China stated.

The Chinese community’s emphasis on education and heritage of Chinese civilisation is a Malaysian treasure, it said.

Citing a Malaysian saying, the embassy stressed that Malaysia and China are a pair of "good neighbours, good friends, good partners".

"As always, China and the embassy wish to collaborate in the tireless efforts carried out between these two countries to enhance Chinese education," it said.

After Huang was appointed as China’s ambassador to Malaysia in 2014, he made several high-profile overtures to be seen with the local Chinese community, in sharp contrast to previous envoys.

However, his visit to Petaling Street last year on the eve of the ‘red shirt’ rally, caught national attention.

Huang’s strongly-worded statement there, in which he underscored his concern for the Chinese community in Malaysia, resulted in the government calling him in to clarify his remarks.