A Lesson from the Malaysian Deputy Minister about verified qualification
Earlier this year in February, the academic background of Marzuki Yahya, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs was called into question by Malaysians. A police report was also lodged by Muhsin Abdul Latheef, a political activist who disputed the legitimacy of the deputy minister’s degree.
Initially, the deputy minister informed the public that he obtained a Bachelor of Business Administration via a distance learning program from the University of Cambridge, a renowned international university located in the United Kingdom. However, Muhsin Abdul Latheef claimed that the institution does not offer a distance learning course for the deputy minister’s specific degree. In return, Marzuki Yahya clarified to the media that his qualification is from Cambridge International University, which is based in the United States. To his disadvantage, his explanation was not to make anything better when netizens found that Cambridge International University is an alleged degree mill and is listed in the list of Unauthorized Schools and Invalid Degrees by the Oregon Student Access Commission’s Office of Degree Authorization.
While it is true that a politician does not require an academic background of a high standard to do the job, it certainly helps to boost the credibility of an elected official. In today’s world of technology where one could obtain anything with just a click, it is so much easier to look for a person’s information. Hence, this calls for greater action for public officials to have their qualifications verified in order to strengthen their standing among the people. Although it may be a little too late for Marzuki Yahya, there is still time for the rest of us to ponder the gravity and the consequences of having verified qualifications.
With a connection to the various educational institutions in and outside of Malaysia, Integrity offers education and qualification verification as a part of its Employment Background Screening service. Visit our website to find out more about the services that we offer.
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