DR Mahathir Mohamad should decide on the fate of ministers and their deputies who have dubious academic credentials, said Khalid Samad.

The federal territories minister said that the selection of ministers is the prerogative of the prime minister and removing them is up to him.

“It’s his cabinet. He appointed them. It’s up to the prime minister to decide,” he told reporters today when asked if ministers and their deputies who had dubious academic credentials should resign.  

Several politicians have come under scrutiny following claims on social media of their dubious academic credentials.

The first to be questioned was Deputy Foreign Minister Marzuki Yahya, who previously said he had a degree from the UK’s University of Cambridge via a distance learning programme, but admitted recently that it was actually from the US’ Cambridge International University.

The American institution has since been increasingly suspected of being a “diploma mill”, awarding degrees with little to no actual study involved.

Cambridge International University, on its website, said that it is not accredited.

The site said the varsity offers 150 programmes, but only 12 faculty members and 13 adjunct faculty members are listed.

Yesterday, Johor Menteri Besar Osman Sapian declined to answer questions on his academic qualifications.

Osman came under fire after he ignored media questions regarding his accounting degree allegedly from Universiti Putra Malaysia.

Housing and Local Government Zuraida Kamaruddin has denied ever claiming to be a graduate of the prestigious National University of Singapore.

Mohamad Sabu also denied being a university graduate and that he had faked his academic credentials.

Mohamad, popularly known as Mat Sabu, told a news portal that he never graduated from Mara University of Technology as he was expelled over his student activism. – February 10, 2019.