Education background of two Pakatan politicians quizzed

KUALA LUMPUR: Two more Pakatan Harapan politicians are having their education credentials questioned. They are Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Osman Sapian and Perak state executive councillor Paul Yong Choo Kiong.

Osman, when contacted, refused to be drawn into allegations about his degree from Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), saying he did not want to get himself involved in such matters.

A Facebook page, Ops Johor, has questioned Osman’s education background and alleged the Mentri Besar did not obtain a degree from UPM.

It also uploaded a picture where it tried to search for Osman’s name on the UPM search portal but could not find anything.

“The info that Ops Johor received, UPM introduced a bachelor in accounts in 1985 where at the time the university did not offer diploma in accounts except for diploma in business management,” said the posting.

Osman, when asked further if the allegation was affecting his image as the Mentri Besar, replied:

“It is ok. Even Datuk Marzuki was hit by it.”

The Johor government portal states that Osman obtained a certificate in accounts from Metro Manila College from the Philippines in 1985, as well as a diploma and degree in accounts from UPM. It did not mention the year when the diploma and degree from UPM were obtained.

Meanwhile, in a Facebook posting yesterday, MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong asked DAP to look into its own leaders who may have doubtful academic qualifications.

He claimed that the MBA degree of Yong, the Tronoh assemblyman, came from Akamai University which apparently was known as a “dubious university” or a degree mill.

“In fact, it was (DAP stalwart) Lim Kit Siang who labelled Akamai University in Hawaii a degree mill in Parliament back in 2005.

“Furthermore, it was reported then that the national accreditation board had described Akamai as another dubious university being investigated by authorities,” said Dr Wee.

Dr Wee asked if Lim and his party would hold Yong to the same standards as Marzuki, who had been asked to resign in view of the furore over his degree.

In an immediate response, Yong accused MCA of trying to gain political mileage out of the allegation.

“What is the relation between this matter and politics? I am not going to comment just to get political mileage,” said Yong.

Perak DAP chairman Nga Kor Ming could not be reached for comment.