The Education Ministry has no intention

KUALA LUMPUR: The Education Ministry has no intention of setting up a centralised data bank of degree holders to address the problem of fake degrees, the Dewan Rakyat was told Monday. Its deputy minister, Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah said this was because each public or private institution of higher learning (IPT) had its own databank of degree holders. "This is consistent with the autonomy and freedom granted to IPTs in conducting their operations," he said when responding to a question from Datuk Mohd Nasir Ibrahim Fikri (BN-Kuala Nerus). Saifuddin said that, currently, the ministry received data from public IPTs through an information and database system called MyMohes while that of private IPTs via the IPT Information Management System (IFMS). "The systems ensures that the data and information provided are accurate, current, authentic and can be used for planning, promulgating policies and developing sustainable higher education," he said. Existing laws are sufficient to weed out degree scam, he said, adding that employers wanting to know the authenticity of local degrees should check with the IPT concerned. - Bernama