Remember when a Malaysian announced to the nation that he got a scholarship from NASA but he then was exposed for lying about the whole thing? Well, he’s back and still not being completely honest about his background.
After a quiet period, the name Azhar Ali resurfaced on social media when a Twitter user revealed that the Malaysian is now a Perdana Fellow. According to the website, the Perdana Fellow Programme or Perdana Fellowship is a “prestigious programme established by the Ministry of Youth and Sports to provide young Malaysians first-hand experience in matters of national governance.”
Azhar, now going by Muhammad Azhar, is a Perdana Fellow for the Ministry of Investment, Trade, and Industry, working alongside Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul. Unsurprisingly, many netizens were sceptical of the news because of Azhar’s notorious history. In 2020, he received nationwide coverage after revealing that he was to receive a scholarship from NASA.
He was even congratulated by then-prime minister of Malaysia, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin. However, Azhar was quickly exposed because not only did he lie about receiving the NASA scholarship, but he was also lying about his background and achievements.
Following that incident, many were wary of the initial tweet that revealed his current position – but it turned out to be real news as the poster came from an Instagram post by Tengku Zafrul about the Perdana Fellowship. However, there were many issues with Azhar’s information on his official profile poster, as pointed out by netizens.
On the poster, Azhar was a University of Malaya (UM) graduate who majored in Electronics and Communications Engineering. However, many UM alumni and students revealed that the course is non-existent. Azhar also listed his notable “achievements”, including being the Champion of the WorldQuant Brain 2022 Global Alphathon. However, that was also revealed as a lie because the champion was Trinh Nguyen from Vietnam. His two other “achievements” were also proven to be false.
Many Malaysians have since reacted to the revelation, with the comments ranging from anger to amusement. Some were angry and disappointed that the government did not conduct better background checks on the chosen Perdana Fellows. A few also believed Azhar may have used his connections to obtain the position. Despite that, many netizens were also left amused at his incessant scams, even equating him to American con man Frank Abagnale.
As of writing, there have been no clarifications on Azhar’s position and credentials by the government – but this whole thing does seem like it would make an exciting TV series.
UPDATE (13th September, Wednesday):
Following the allegations that Azhar Ali had falsified his credentials, Perdana Fellows Alumni Association President Syed Mohamed Arif has released a statement. In the letter, he states that the association does not possess the authority to conduct a background check on the applicants during the selection process. However, the association has submitted an official letter to the relevant authorities to conduct a formal investigation into the claims.
Sources: Twitter (1)(2), Instagram, PFAA
Adleena contributed to this article.
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