Real issue is poor internet connectivity.
The cabinet has found comments by two deputy ministers about Sabah student Veveonah Mosibin inappropriate and recognises that poor internet connectivity remains a challenge in interior areas, Khairy Jamaluddin said.
The science, technology and innovation minister tweeted that the cabinet meeting earlier today discussed the furore surrounding the 18-year-old Universiti Malaysia Sabah student, who posted a video of herself on YouTube climbing a tree in order to obtain internet connection so that she could take an examination online.
“The cabinet took note that the remarks by two deputy ministers were not right and not appropriate.
“The cabinet agreed the real issue is difficult obtaining internet connectivity and other basic infrastructure in the interior. The government will continue its best efforts to improve this,” Khairy said on Twitter.
The two deputy ministers referred to are Deputy Communications and Multimedia Minister Zahidi Zainul Abidin and Deputy Finance Minister I Abdul Rahim Bakri, who both said Veveonah had faked taking the exam.
Zahidi first made the claim in Dewan Negara last week, saying Veveonah posted her video to get attention.
He later apologised, but then blamed Rahim, whom he said gave him the information.
Rahim, meanwhile, said in a Facebook post he had inspected Veveonah’s claims of poor internet connectivity by speaking to a village chief and an unnamed faculty member of UMS, who said there was no such exam in June when Veveonah made and posted her video.
He later deleted his post.
Both deputies were slammed by social media users and opposition lawmakers for missing the point about poor internet connectivity in Sabah’s rural areas.
Former Sabah minister for tourism Masidi Manjun yesterday tweeted that Veveonah did indeed take an online exam while sitting in a tree, after checking with the UMS head of the foundational science programme. – TMI