Marzuki’s issue a matter of integrity, says Umno youth chief

KUALA LUMPUR — The dispute over Malaysia's deputy foreign minister Marzuki Yahya’s degree is a problem of his credibility, rather than his tertiary education qualification, said Umno Youth chief Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki.

He said it was never mandatory for ministers or politicians to hold degrees, but that Mr Marzuki felt the need to defend his fake credentials was enough to question his credibility.

“There is no problem if they (ministers) do not have certificates, but what is important is that they are honest, have integrity, and do not cheat the rakyat.

“It is a question of integrity if they have high qualifications, but their degrees are bought from institutions known by the accreditation boards to be unqualified,” Mr Asyraf said at a press conference in Semenyih.

Mr Marzuki was suspected of having his Wikipedia biodata altered to say that he graduated with a degree in Business Administration in Logistics from the University of Cambridge in the UK after a Facebook user disputed it.

The netizen said the deputy minister did not graduate with the said degree as the university did not offer long-distance learning, prompting Mr Marzuki to refute the claims by saying he would post the transcripts and the certificate online.

Mr Asyraf said the matter had brought shame to the country, given how Mr Marzuki is the deputy foreign minister and deals with foreign governments.

“From the beginning, we have urged those who do not uphold integrity to retreat with pride, as this is a matter of shame to the country.

“This is a deputy foreign minister who represents the country in international forums.

Mr Marzuki said he had no intention to mislead the public about his academic qualifications that were published on Wikipedia.

“Anyone can alter a Wikipedia page. And I have never instructed or entered information as to my education in my Wikipedia page,” Mr Marzuki said, claiming innocence in the ruckus. THE MALAYSIAN INSIGHT