Questions over Communications and Multimedia Deputy Minister Zahidi Zainul Abidin’s Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from an alleged degree mill appear to stem from a Bernama report.
The government-owned newswire first reported that he had graduated from US-based “Northern California Global University” in a March 9 article on his biography after he was appointed deputy minister.
Indonesian police previously arrested 12 people for selling “fake degrees” including MBAs bearing the name “Northern California Global University”.
Two days after publishing the article, Bernama issued a correction to its original report.
The mention of his MBA was removed and Zahidi’s academic qualification was changed to a Diploma in Public Administration from Institut Teknologi Mara, the precursor of today’s UiTM.
However, due to the delayed correction, news websites and even the Communications and Multimedia Ministry’s own website continue to carry the original March 9 Bernama report.
Earlier today, Malay Mail highlighted Zahidi’s qualification and pointed out that “Global University” was a Christian-based institution that did not offer MBA programmes.
According to its website, the university is located in the state of Missouri and not California.
Second dubious degree?
Zahidi has come under intense public scrutiny in recent days after he accused 18-year-old university student Veveonah Mosibin for purportedly lying about needing to climb a tree to take an online examination.
Aside from his allegedly dubious MBA, Twitter users also zoomed in on his apparent political science bachelor's degree from “International Irish University”, as stated in the 2016 Rubber Industry Smallholders Development Authority (Risda) annual report back when he was authority’s chairperson.
British media previously deemed the “International Irish University” a “bogus” university offering uncredited degrees and revealed it was run by a Malaysian businessperson.
Malaysiakini has contacted the Padang Besar MP for comment but he has yet to respond at publication time.
Last year, Pakatan Harapan leaders Marzuki Yahya, Mohamad Sabu, Zuraida Kamaruddin, Osman Sapian, and Paul Yong were embroiled in scandal after questions about the veracity of their degrees arose. - Mkini
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