I don’t have a culinary degree but I can cook, says Mat Sabu amid online witchhunt

Mohamad Sabu, known for his culinary skills, dismisses a claim that he holds a ‘fake degree’.

PETALING JAYA: The attacks on a deputy minister over his academic credentials have now spiralled into a witchhunt of politicians over their university degrees, with accusations from both sides of the divide being thrown on the social media.

Among those caught in the crossfire include Defence Minister Mohamad Sabu, DAP’s Tronoh assemblyman Paul Yong Choo Kiong and PKR vice-president Zuraida Kamaruddin.

Mohamad, better known as Mat Sabu, is accused of faking his degree in culinary arts.

When contacted, the Amanah president dismissed the attacks against him, saying he had never claimed to have any university qualification.

“Some people say I have degree in culinary arts. I never said that,” he told FMT.

“Truth is, I never completed my studies at ITM (Mara Institute of Technology). They kicked me out,” he said, but quickly added that he was a “good cook”.

“Maybe it’s because I am good at cooking, so people think it’s something I learnt in college,” he said.

He said he was reminded of a description of him by activist Hishamuddin Rais, who likened him to the late Ronald Reagan.

“Reagan did not have a degree but he led the United States,” he said.

Meanwhile, Paul’s MBA degree from Akamai University in Hawaii, has come under scrutiny on social media.

Critics say the institution is also a “degree mill”, similar to US-based Cambridge International University (CIU).

CIU, which offers online courses, came under spotlight recently after Deputy Foreign Minister Marzuki Yahya was accused of having a “fake degree” from CIU, and not from its namesake, the world-renowned University of Cambridge.

Marzuki has since denied that he had ever claimed to be a graduate of the University of Cambridge.

MCA president Wee Ka Siong charged at DAP over Paul’s academic qualification.

Wee reminded DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang of his remarks in Parliament in 2005, where he labeled Akamai University a degree mill.

“Furthermore, it was reported then that the National Accreditation Board (MQA) had described Akamai as ‘another dubious university being investigated by the authorities’, said Wee.

PKR’s Zuraida was also not spared. Her science degree from the National University of Singapore (NUS) has come under scrutiny by social media users, who said her name is not listed on the university’s degree verification site.

FMT understands a statement will be issued by her office by tonight or tomorrow morning.

Another ruling politician, Johor Menteri Besar Osman Sapian, has “refused” to respond to a claim that he had not graduated in accountancy from Universiti Putra Malaysia. -FMT