PUTRAJAYA: The Higher Education Ministry will set up a National Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Registry to curb the production and usage of fraudulent academic titles by individuals and organisations.
The ministry said the move will ensure credible use of academic titles, enable the public to verify information and deter bogus issuance of academic certificates.
“The ministry is serious in taking action against the production and usage of fraudulent academic titles by individuals and organisations. The most common fraudulently used and produced academic title in Malaysia is ‘Dr.’ as in a PhD graduate.
“The ministry, through the University and University Colleges Act 1971 (Act 30), Private Higher Educational Institutions Act (Act 555) and existing guidelines on the use of academic titles, will establish a registry under the Department of Higher Education for all PhD holders in the country.
“The registry will automatically register those who graduate with a PhD locally,” it said in a statement, today.
For those who graduate with a PhD from abroad, verification can be sought from the respective universities, the statement said.
The setting up of this registry is to facilitate and complement existing laws in addition to the legal safeguards provided under the Penal Code which allows for criminal action to be taken against the production and usage of fraudulent academic titles.
This comes in the wake of questions over motivational speaker Azizan Osman’s PhD credentials.
“We are to understand that University Malaya has made a police report with regard to the case of a popular motivational speaker falsely using the title ‘Dr.’ and claimed that he obtained PhD from University Malaya.
“Subsequent to the police report, University Malaya is taking further legal action against him. We are to understand that other local universities mentioned in his credentials are following University Malaya’s steps,” the statement said.