Online sleuths scrutinise candidates' credentials amid questions

GE15 | Amid the hectic campaigning, online sleuths have taken it upon themselves to scrutinise the qualifications of the candidates.

Four candidates in particular have had their qualifications questioned in social media posts. They are Pakatan Harapan’s candidate for Sungai Petani Dr Taufiq Johari, Pejuang’s candidate for Tanjong Karang Azlan Sani Zawawi, and BN’s candidates for Kubang Kerian Nurul Amal Mohd Fauzi and for Wangsa Maju Mohd Shafei Abdullah.

In a Facebook post, political observer Liyana Marzuki questioned Taufiq’s use of the title “Dr”, as he is not registered with the Malaysian Medical Council (MMC). She also asked why he was not registered with the MMC in the first place.

However, she acknowledged that her checks with the graduate database of his university in Indonesia do show that he completed his medical degree.

When contacted by Malaysiakini, Taufiq explained he graduated with a medical degree from Universiti Bandung, Indonesia, and subsequently practised medicine at a hospital in Bandung.

“When I returned to Malaysia, I made the decision to join politics due to my interest and determination to help the rakyat and I no longer practised as a medical doctor in any private or public clinics,” he said.

He also denied having served as a medical doctor in a clinic in Sungai Petani.

Taufiq provided Malaysiakini with pictures of his medical degree, his academic transcript and screenshots of his information on his university’s graduate database, among others.

He then referred to a recent Facebook post made by an elected member of the MMC, Dr Khairul Hafidz Alkhair Khairul Amin.

Khairul said there is no issue for someone with a valid medical degree to use the “Dr” title in Malaysia, even if they are not registered with the MMC.

“If there is no degree, they cannot use the ‘Dr’ title and cannot practice. If they have a valid degree and did not complete their housemanship, they can use the ‘Dr’ title but cannot practice in Malaysia,” he said.

Khairul was actually referring to another candidate who had their medical qualifications doubted earlier - BN’s candidate for Pengkalan Chepa, Mohd Hafiezulniezam Mohd Hasdin.

It was also Liyana who first raised concerns about Hafiezulniezam’s academic qualifications, saying she could not find proof that he had graduated with a medical degree from the Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta or his name on the MMC database.

Both Hafiezulniezam and Liyana have since lodged police reports against each other over this issue.

‘I never claimed to have a degree’

Meanwhile, another Facebook user had questioned the academic qualification of Pejuang’s Tanjong Karang candidate Azlan Sani Zawawi, saying he could not find the candidate’s name on the graduate database of the University of Tasmania, Australia.

According to the candidate profile of Azlan, who is fondly known as Lando among his social media followers, his last place of education is the University of Tasmania in 1996, but no further information was given, such as whether he graduated or what he graduated in.

When contacted, Azlan told Malaysiakini that he did not complete his studies at the University of Tasmania and he never said he did.

“I have not yet finished, that’s why I didn’t put any bachelor’s degree or anything there. I never claimed that I’m a bachelor’s degree holder.

“They (Pejuang) asked me for my latest education status so I just said, okay, I put University of Tasmania,” he said.

He explained he had to take a hiatus from his studies at the university in 1996 due to family matters.

While he attempted to go back to complete his degrees recently, the Covid-19 pandemic put a stop to his plans. He currently does not have the financial capacity or time to return to his studies, he added.

At the time, he was pursuing a double major in psychology and sociology at the University of Tasmania, he said.

Degree mill?

Both the BN candidates who had their academic qualifications questioned by Twitter users did not respond to Malaysiakini’s attempts to get clarification on this matter.

Nurul Amal had listed in her candidate profile that she received her diploma in business administration, bachelor’s degree in finance and accounting, and an MBA from the “American University London, UK”.

Checks by Malaysiakini failed to find any university with that exact same designation but there were many universities with similar names, such as the American University in London and the American University of London.

Back in 2013, BBC reported that the American University of London had sold an MBA degree for thousands of pounds without any academic work required.

However, the university has defended the robustness of the qualifications it offers and describes itself as a for-profit unaccredited educational institution offering degrees solely by distance learning.

Their website also specifically denied that it was a degree mill and that they have obtained accreditation from “independent agencies specialising primarily in distance learning”.

Meanwhile, the American University in London was an accredited university before it was suspended in 2007.

There is, however, a legitimate university with a similar name, called Richmond American University London, located in the UK.

It is unclear which university Nurul Amal got her academic qualifications from.

On Shafei’s candidate profile, he listed a doctorate in business administration from the European American University under his academic qualifications.

According to the university’s website, it does not appear to have any government accreditation, but it has entered into voluntary private accreditation systems and recognition agreements with other established institutions.

Among the institutions it has an agreement with is the Mara Educational Foundation in Malaysia.

“A formal agreement of partnership was signed between the foundation and European-American University in London, England on April 19, 2011,” the university’s website stated.

Malaysia goes to the polls on Nov 19.

Claims on army camp campaigns slanderous - Hishammuddin

Johor police arrest 3 over car ramming of election campaign worker

Sheraton Move repeat difficult: Ambiga's impassioned plea to voters

In Kuala Langat, 1,000 brave rain to hear PAS leaders speak

GE15: EC educates voters how to fill postal ballots

KJ: I negotiated for Sg Buloh as leadership left me in the dark