KUALA LUMPUR: Deputy Foreign Minister Datuk Marzuki Yahya (pix) yesterday produced proof that he had a Bachelor of Business Administration (Logistics Management) degree from the Cambridge International University (CIU), America.
In a posting on his Facebook account, he also uploaded a copy of the academic record transcript and the degree certificate from CIU as proof that he was a graduate of CIU and not the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom.
Marzuki said he honestly had no intention of using his academic qualifications to confuse anyone.
“This is because the original reason for pursuing my studies 17 years ago was to gain knowledge in the business area I was involved in. At that time, it never crossed my mind that I would one day be in this post as a member of the government administration,” he said.
He also left it to Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohammad and the leaders of Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM) to decide on his position in the government and party.
“There are people who said that I was not telling the truth when on Wikipedia it was written that I obtained my education at the University of Cambridge when it does not offer a Bachelor of Business Administration in Logistics and does not offer any distance learning courses.
He also stressed that he never included any information on his education on Wikipedia and never instructed anyone to do so.
“In fact, when I was asked by the media before this, I clearly said that I obtained my qualifications from the Cambridge International University (CIU) in America and not the University of Cambridge,” he said.
Political activist Muhsin Abdul Latheef has lodged a police report against Facebook account holder Zulfahan Pagon who alleged that the distance learning studies programme for business administration Marzuki took did not exist in the University of Cambridge.
Zulfahan Pagon uploaded the posting on Feb 3.
Marzuki said that from 2002 until 2005 when he was taking the course, he was working as the chief executive officer of his own shipping and logistics company in Penang.
“At that time, people in Malaysia and the world did not talk much about a university’s accreditation. In fact, at that time, there was not even a ranking system for the most known and organised universities like today. At that time, there was not even a list of universities which were said to be “bogus universities”.
“So, when I found out that there was a course offered by CIU on the business area I was involved in, I registered myself, without paying attention to the accreditation aspect,” he said. — Bernama
