KUALA LUMPUR — Malaysia's Democratic Action Party (DAP) waded into the “fake degree” controversy surrounding Malaysia's deputy foreign affairs minister Marzuki Yahya on Friday (Feb 8), saying that Pakatan Harapan (PH) should hold itself to higher standards of public accountability and transparency.

Mr Marzuki claimed to have obtained a degree from the UK’s Cambridge University via a long-distance programme, while the British institution said if offers no such degrees. He later clarified that his degree was from the US-based Cambridge International University instead.

“Under a New Malaysia, such issues should not be swept under the carpet and ignored, as it was under the Barisan Nasional government,” DAP’s Ong Kian Ming said in a statement.

“We have to hold ourselves up to higher standards of public accountability and transparency. If not, we would be seen as being no different as the previous BN administration.”

Regardless of the deputy minister’s choice — to resign or ride out the controversy — the matter now is whether Malaysian Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad still has confidence in Mr Marzuki to serve in his government, said Mr Ong.

The Bangi MP added that a person need not possess a degree to be an effective politician.

Instead, a politician must be willing to work hard, go down to the ground and build a good team in addition to knowing his or her scope of work and policy responsibilities, said Mr Ong. THE MALAYSIAN INSIGHT