KUALA KUBU BARU: The undermining of Perikatan Nasional candidate Khairul Azhari Saut's academic credentials was not the doing of the unity government.

DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke stressed that the component parties of the unity government have never questioned Khairul Azhari's academic qualifications, but the issue took centre stage following questions raised by netizens on social media platforms.

"It was not us who started this. We have never questioned their (PN's) academic qualifications but the matter was raised by netizens on social media platforms.

"They (PN) then diverted the attention to us and questioned our candidate's qualification, which we then answered with facts.

"What we did was just merely to state facts, we did not engage in any kind of character assasination and we have never said that the academic qualifications (of the PN candidate) were not valid," he told reporters here.

Loke said this when asked whether the back-and-forth questioning of candidates' academic qualifications were childish and hindered their campaign movements.

It was previously reported that various quarters had questioned Khairul Azhari's qualifications for a master's degree from Universiti Malaysia Pahang after completing an executive diploma for Universiti Malaya within a span of two years.

Following this, Pas information chief Ahmad Fadhli Shaari questioned PH candidate Pang Sock Tao's academic background.

The dispute was then put to rest when Pang took to her Facebook account to share her Ujian Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR) and Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination slips, in which she scored straight As.

Fadhli then "apologised" for raising the issue, but added that he hoped it would prolong until the polling day on May 11.

Loke said PN should just provide evidence and not be worried about its candidate's academic qualifications.

"What is needed is to simply state the facts, like what our candidate did when being questioned, (but) what they did is to question us after being questioned by netizens.

"For me, there was no need to divert the attention, just state the facts and that should be sufficient.

"We have no intention or interest to do any character assassination... that was never our way. We are only promoting ourselves and we do not downgrade others."

The Kuala Kubu Baharu by-election will see a four-cornered fight involving Pang, Khairul Azhari, Parti Rakyat Malaysia's Hafizah Zainudin and independent candidate Nyau Ke Xin.

The by-election was triggered by the passing of its three-term assemblyman Lee Kee Hiong from DAP.

https://www.nst.com.my/news/politics/2024/05/1045026/loke-khairul-azharis-character-assassination-was-not-unity-govts-doing