Johor MB refuses to answer queries on accounting degree

KULAI: Menteri Besar Datuk Osman Sapian has refused to answer queries that he did not hold an accounting degree from a local university.

The Johor Pakatan Harapan (PH) chairman smiled when asked to comment on allegations that had gone viral on social media.

Osman immediately left the function, an open house and charity donation ceremony, at the Taman Putri multipurpose hall held in conjunction with the Chinese New Year.

Social media had been abuzz with claims that Osman’s degree from Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) did not exist. The allegations came to light after someone purportedly conducted online checks with the university.

At the same function, Johor PKR chairman Hassan Karim said the recent allegations of fake academic qualifications of several PH leaders had tarnished the image of the coalition.

He said PH had put in reforms to improve the integrity of the country, in creating a new society as part of its struggles.

He said the coalition had made a lot of accusations against the previous government.

“Therefore, we must set a good example. If not, we have failed,” he said.

Hassan was commenting on recent allegations against some PH leaders, including Deputy Foreign Minister Datuk Marzuki Yahya and Osman that they had fake degrees.

He said in the legal standpoint, it was up to the accusers to prove their allegations, not the accused.

“However, it is better for the accused to come forward and explain. As public figures, there is nothing private for them and the public has the right to scrutinise them,” said Hassan.

In George Town, political activist Muhsin Abdul Latheef, who had lodged a police report twice against Marzuki on allegations that he lied about having a degree from Cambridge University, has repeated his call for the latter to resign from the government and party.

He lodged a third police report yesterday following revelations made by Marzuki, who had posted a pdf file of his degree certificate from Cambridge International University in the United States.

Muhsin said there were too many glaring mistakes in the certificate.

One, he said, was that it was a one-page certificate, usually a degree student would have several pages of transcripts printed according to the semesters.

He said Marzuki’s transcript was exactly the same with that of one Abraham Kensington.

“Lawyer Shamsher Singh Thind has reportedly emailed the university, seeking confirmation if Marzuki was a student, and they did confirm this.

“However, in the transcript, it mentioned no details would be shared without the written consent of the student.

“So has Marzuki written, so that Shamsher can get it? How can a person not related to him get such key details?”

Muhsin wants Marzuki to provide pictures of his convocation and share the title of his thesis for reference as proof that he studied in the institution.