Ministry of Higher Education and Jabatan Perkhidmatan Awam should explain why they had been parties to the RM10 million  scam by  bogus universities, the Irish International University and the Cambridgeshire University, that their degrees are recognized by the Malaysian government deceiving and victimizing  hundreds of Malaysians

Media  Statement
by Lim Kit Siang  

(Parliament, Tuesday): The Ministry of Higher Education and Jabatan Perkhidmatan Awam  (JPA) should explain why they had been parties to the RM10 million  scam  by bogus universities, the Irish International University and the Cambridgeshire University, that their degrees are recognized by the Malaysian government deceiving and  victimizing hundreds of Malaysians. 

Last Wednesday, the Minister for Higher Education, Datuk Dr. Shafie Salleh said his Ministry would investigate the claims by these two bogus universities which have only Internet existence while the Irish Ambassador to Malaysia Daniel Mulhall went public on Sunday calling on the Malaysian Government to take action against the Irish International University for committing deception by parading itself as an Irish university.

Mulhall’s confirmation that the university had no ties with Ireland and does not offer any courses or conduct any classes in Ireland was not made only on Sunday, as  the Irish Embassy had since last year  warned the Ministry of Higher Education of the bogus activities of the Irish International University, and the issue was raised during the course of “high-level official contacts” between education authorities of the two countries – but to no apparent effect.

What is shocking is that the Ministry of Higher Education and the JPA had been parties to the scam by the Irish International University and the Cambridgeshire University, whose degrees are not accredited nor recognized in the United Kingdom, United States or Ireland, by giving written assurances to  Malaysians that their  degrees were recognized by the Malaysian government.

It is estimated that some 500 Malaysians have fallen victim to the bogus claims of these two “virtual” universities, and if each had been made to part from RM14,000 to RM20,000, the total sum involved will be in the region between RM7 million to RM10 million!

I have documentary evidence to prove that the Ministry of Higher Education and the JPA had given  written certification that the degrees of the bogus university which has only cyber but no physical existence, the Cambridgeshire University, are recognized by the Malaysian government, and I am prepared to show them to Shafie.

(26/07/2005)