KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 8 — Sabah’s former tourism, culture, and environment minister Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun said he has confirmed with Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) that Veveonah Mosibin sat for examinations in June, after two government leaders accused her of lying.
Masidi is also the chairman of UMS’s board of directors.
On Twitter, Masidi also said Veveonah has been offered a course in marine science at UMS.
“After meeting the TNC & Pengarah Pusat Asasi Sains, UMS today, I would like to confirm that student Veveonah Mosibin sat for her final semester exams (online) from 9/6 till 12/6/20.
“She was an exemplary student & has been offered to do Marine Science degree course in UMS,” Masidi who is Sabah’s Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) deputy president, wrote.
Last week, Deputy Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Zahidi Zainul Abidin alleged in the Senate that Veveonah did not sit for any university examinations as portrayed in her YouTube video that went viral in June.
Although he apologised and retracted his allegation later, he disclosed this week that his information came from Deputy Finance Minister I Abdul Rahim Bakri, who maintained the allegation yesterday.
Abdul Rahim, who is the MP for Kudat, purported in a since-removed Facebook post yesterday that he had sent an officer to investigate Veveonah’s case and allegedly found that she did not take any examinations in June and no longer resided in Kampung Sepatalang in rural Sabah.
Earlier today, Segambut MP Hannah Yeoh denounced the two deputy ministers’ continued aspersions against Veveonah as cyberbullying.
Veveonah disclosed last week that she already came under immediate attack online over Zahidi’s allegation.
Yeoh also criticised Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Rina Harun and the latter’s deputy Datuk Siti Zailah Mohd Yusoff for their silence on the matter.
In June, Veveonah posted a video to her YouTube channel showing viewers how she spent 24 hours atop a tree in the jungle as that was the only way she could reliably connect to the Internet and sit for her Chemistry and Malaysian studies tests then.
Her YouTube video spurred the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) to devise plans for a telecommunications tower in Kampung Bilangau Kecil, Pitas, to provide Veveonah and her fellow villagers improved Internet access.
