IPOH, Feb 12 — Perak Umno today insisted that the integrity of Deputy Foreign Minister Datuk Marzuki Yahya is at stake even though Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM) has accepted his explanation on his “Cambridge” qualification.
Perak Umno liaison chief Datuk Saarani Mohamad said as deputy foreign minister, whatever Marzuki says carries weight.
“How will foreign countries view him when he is not upfront with his qualification. Integrity is not a small matter,” he told a press conference here.
Earlier today, PPBM president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said no action would be taken against Marzuki, who is the party’s secretary-general, for his academic qualifications which has been the cause of much controversy last week.
Muhyiddin said his party was satisfied and has accepted Marzuki’s explanation following a meeting with the latter.
Last Wednesday, Marzuki admitted he did not attend University of Cambridge, despite previously claiming he taken a long-distance course for a Bachelor of Business Administration degree there.
Marzuki said his degree in business administration is from the United States-based Cambridge International University — an institution whose reputation has been questioned.
The admission came after political activist Muhsin Abdul Latheef lodged a police report over a Facebook account holder’s claim in a February 3 post that the University of Cambridge did not offer a distance-learning programme in business administration that Marzuki claims to have pursued.
Saarani today also lambasted Keranji assemblyman Chong Zhe Min for questioning former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s academic qualification.
He said Chong should not go as far as Najib but look at his own backyard.
“There are 31 Pakatan Harapan assemblymen in Perak. He should check with each of them whether their qualifications are legitimate,” he said.
Chong was reported on Monday calling out to MCA president Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong to question Najib about the latter’s degree as part of his checks on Pakatan Harapan (PH) leaders’ qualifications.
The DAP assemblyman had highlighted a video circulating online alleging that Najib never completed his studies at the University of Nottingham in the 70s.
Chong had also told Najib to disprove the allegation by publishing the transcripts of his examinations as well as a copy of his degree.
