KKB by-election: Perikatan candidate brushes off comments on educational background

HULU SELANGOR: Perikatan Nasional’s Khairul Azhari Saut (pic, below) has brushed off claims about his educational background, saying that the focus now is on the Kuala Kubu Baharu by-election.

This comes after questions were asked about how Khairul Azhari could have a Masters degree even though his previous qualification was a diploma.

“I don’t want to comment on that. I’m focusing on the election,” he told reporters after successfully submitting nomination papers for the Kuala Kubu Baharu by-election here on Saturday (April 27).

When pressed further, he said he would answer this “later”.

In Khairul Azhari’s biodata, it read that the Hulu Selangor Bersatu acting chief had a diploma in executive management from Universiti Malaya in 2019, followed by a Masters degree in business management from Universiti Malaysia Pahang in 2021.

When asked on how he could serve the people of Kuala Kubu Baharu if he was elected, Khairul Azahari said he would give his “best service”.

Photo: Bernama

“Let’s all have a fair fight in the elections,” he said.

On the matter, Selangor Bersatu Chief Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali said Khairul Azahari had indeed undergone the said courses.

He added that those with vast working experience would usually take an executive course within a short time frame to specialise in select fields.

“He did go through the said course to improve his knowledge in the field,” Mohamed Azmin said.

Khairul Azahari is in a four-cornered fight for the Kuala Kubu Baharu state seat.

He is up against Pakatan Harapan’s Pang Sock Tao, Parti Rakyat Malaysia’s Hafizah Zainuddin and independent Nyau Ke Xin.

On April 4, the Election Commission (EC) set May 11 as polling day for the Kuala Kubu Baru by-election, with nomination and early voting on April 27 and May 7, respectively.

The seat became vacant following the death of its incumbent Lee Kee Hiong from DAP on March 21.

Lee, 58, who had been the Kuala Kubu Baru assemblyman under the Hulu Selangor parliamentary constituency since 2013, had battled cancer for several years.

The by-election is the seventh to be held after the 15th General Election (GE15) in 2022.

The electoral roll for the Kuala Kubu Baru by-election comprises 40,226 registered voters consisting of 39,362 regular voters, 625 police personnel, 238 military personnel and spouses and one absentee voter residing abroad.