PETALING JAYA: Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) should not be defending anyone who has misrepresented his academic credentials because what led to Barisan Nasional's downfall was a lack of integrity, says Bersatu supreme council member Datuk Dr Rais Hussin.

“One should have high integrity (when holding office), as one thing we fought against Barisan was the lack of integrity.

“Integrity is everything and everything,” he said.

The Bersatu strategist was commenting on the issue of Deputy Foreign Minister Datuk Marzuki Yahya obtaining his degree in business administration from an alleged degree mill.

“We had this nonsense before in the previous Barisan government, and if it is true Marzuki has misrepresented himself academically, he should apologise and move on.

“I would not defend anyone who lacks integrity, if indeed he has misrepresented himself.

“If indeed Marzuki had misrepresented himself academically, then he should apologise and move on,” said Dr Rais.

He said that there was no point in defending the indefensible.

Dr Rais, however, said it is entirely up to Marzuki to decide if he wants to resign from his post as deputy foreign minister.

Umno leaders have called for Marzuki to resign, but some Bersatu leaders have defended him, saying he should not be judged on this issue alone.

Marzuki, who previously said he had a degree from the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom via a distance learning programme, admitted on Wednesday (Feb 6) that his degree was actually from Cambridge International University in the United States.

Since that admission, the institution has come under intense scrutiny and increasing suspicion that it is a “diploma mill” that awards degrees with little or no study.

Cambridge International University admits on its website that it is not accredited.



