KUALA LUMPUR – PAS information chief Ahmad Fadhli Shaari has urged voters of the upcoming Kuala Kubu Baharu by-election to keep in mind the educational backgrounds of candidates after it was revealed that the unity government’s candidate was a vernacular school student.
Although DAP candidate Pang Sock Tao had shared straight-A results of her UPSR and SPM examinations, Fadhli said that he hopes the issue will not dissipate any time soon, claiming that there is a stark difference between Pang and Perikatan Nasional’s (PN) candidate Khairul Azhari Saut of Bersatu.
“I hope that voters will continue to remember this issue because there are two choices; one is a candidate who followed the national education pathline and was serving the rakyat from early on (in his political career).
“Another (candidate) is someone who was part of an exclusive educational stream and only has working experience within her party,” Fadhli said, referring to Khairul and Pang, respectively.
The Pasir Mas MP said this when asked about his Facebook post today, in which he appeared to “apologise” for questioning Pang’s educational background.
“I apologise for raising the issue of UPSR and SPM education levels of Kuala Kubu Baharu by-election candidates, indirectly disclosing that a candidate received education in a vernacular school,” Fadhli said in the post.
“With this apology, I hope this issue will be prolonged until (voting day for the) by-election.”
He also joked that while several quarters have pressed him to show his own education certificates, there is no need for him to do so as he is not a candidate in the current by-election.
“If I were to be named as a candidate (in the future), I would reveal (my educational background) from primary to tertiary level. That is, if my rival will also reveal theirs,” he added in jest.
Earlier today, Pang took to social media to share her UPSR and SPM results after Fadhli questioned where she obtained her academic credentials.
The result slips show her to be an alumnus of SJK(C) On Pong, Ampang Hulu Langat, Selangor, and SM Chung Hua, Port Dickson, Negri Sembilan.
At the tertiary level, 31-year-old Pang graduated in electronics and electrical engineering from Universiti Tenaga Malaysia in 2017, the same year she joined DAP as an assistant producer for the party’s video channel, UbahTV.
She then went on to be a special officer for former energy, science, technology, environment, and climate change minister Yeo Bee Yin before assuming her current post as Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming’s press secretary.
On the other hand, social media users had questioned Khairul’s executive diploma in management from Universiti Malaya and executive masters in business administration from University Malaysia Pahang.
The 54-year-old, who also served as a former Hulu Selangor municipal councillor and currently holds the Hulu Selangor Bersatu acting chief position, completed his early education at SK Felda Sungei Tinggi and SMK Felda Soeharto, both in Kuala Kubu Baharu.
Selangor PN chief Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali has since come to Khairul’s defence, saying there was nothing unusual in his qualifications as working professionals often take shorter executive courses.
Kuala Kubu Baharu, one of the three state seats under the Hulu Selangor parliamentary constituency, is composed of 50% Malay voters, while Chinese voters make up about 20%, Indian voters 18%, and the remaining are from the Orang Asli community.
Kuala Kubu Baharu voters will head to the polls on May 11 to cast their ballots in the four-cornered fight involving Pang, Khairul, Parti Rakyat Malaysia’s Hafizah Zainuddin and independent candidate Nyau Ke Xin. – April 29, 2024