Cambridge ‘Degree’ Spurs Calls for Malaysian Minister to Resign

It’s a test of whether a misleading Wikipedia profile can threaten a cabinet position.

(BLOOMBERG) – Malaysia’s deputy foreign minister is facing calls to step down after criticism that he misled the public by allowing his Wikipedia page to say that he graduated from the University of Cambridge in the U.K. Marzuki Yahya said he has never edited his own entry or asked anyone else to do it, and clarified that he studied logistics by distance learning at a different institution named Cambridge International University, located in Houston.

“With all honesty and sincerity I have never intended to use my academic accreditation to mislead anyone,” he wrote in a Facebook post. He added that he’s leaving the fate of his cabinet position in the hands of Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad and his party.
Marzuki included copies of his transcript from Cambridge International University, whose website appears to have been hacked on Saturday.

The criticism against Marzuki comes amid brewing discontent against the nine-month old Pakatan Harapan government, which has had to dial back on a few campaign pledges due to budget constraints. The ruling coalition lost a by-election in late January for a constituency that Mahathir himself visited to garner support.

The administration has been criticized for being too slow in fighting corruption in the ranks of government and in getting to the bottom of the sprawling 1MDB scandal.

Former leader Najib Razak is set to face his first trial day on Tuesday, seven months after he was first charged for his alleged role in the troubled state fund. The government launched an anti-corruption framework on Jan. 29, with programs set to last through the next five years.