THE unity government could not be bothered about the academic qualifications of Perikatan Nasional’s (PN) Kuala Kubu Baharu candidate Khairul Azhari Saut, said Anthony Loke.

The DAP secretary-general said the PN candidate’s academic credentials were questioned by social media users.

He noted that social media users had asked how he (Khairul) had a master’s degree without having a bachelor’s degree.

“We never said his qualifications were not valid. It was raised on social media. We never started it,” he told reporters today in Kuala Kubu Baharu while stumping for the party’s candidate.

Loke said PN was trying to divert attention by raising questions about Pakatan Harapan (PH) candidate Pang Sock Tao’s academic qualifications and so PH released details about her academic background.

“So what we did was to state facts. We did not engage in any form of character assassination,” he said.

Khairul’s biodata, which stated that he received an executive diploma in management from Universiti Malaya in 2019 and a master’s in Business Management from Universiti Malaysia Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah (UMPSA) two years ago, sparked questions on social media.

Subsequently, PAS Youth chief Ahmad Fadhli Shaari questioned Pang’s academic qualifications.

PH then posted transcripts of her SPM and UPSR results, revealing she scored straight As in the examinations.

The Kuala Kubu Baharu by-election on May 11 will witness a contest between four candidates.

They are Pang Sock Tao from PH, Khairul Azhari Saut (PN), Hafizah Zainuddin (PRM) and an independent candidate, Nyau Ke Xin.

The by-election was triggered by the death of the constituency’s three-term assemblyman from DAP, Lee Kee Hiong. – May 1, 2024.