Kudat MP Abdul Rahim Bakri, who is deputy finance minister, also accused Veveonah of deliberately creating a drama, to seek attention and publicity.
Veveonah was propelled to fame recently after having posted a video on her YouTube channel three months ago about her spending 24 hours up a tree in the jungle in order to get the best internet connection so that she could sit for her exams online.
Rahim said in a Facebook posting that Veveonah’s account was inaccurate and baseless.
“I have asked my officer, Ambang Sobul who is from Kampung Bilangau Kecil and lives next to Kampung Sepatalang (to investigate).
“He reported to me that Veveonah’s parents were no longer living in Sepatalang because her father, Mosibin Maraun Makrun, works at the Rural Development Corporation in Pitas town.
“In actual fact, she does not have a house in Kampung Sepatalang, so how can this student claim that she studied on a tree in the village when she actually lives in a town?”
Rahim said he had contacted Veveonah’s faculty dean and lecturers at Universiti Malaysia Sabah to confirm details of the examination, and found that no final examinations were held online.
He questioned Veveonah’s motives for publishing the video.
“Why would a student need to endanger herself by climbing a tree and including it in a video, when she had the option to try and go to Pitas, whether it is at a school or a public place that has good internet coverage?,” he said.
However, he described Veveonah as a person with “a big heart” but also “a young person who is still inexperienced”.
“Weaknesses and mistakes will surely show up in her life,” he said.
Rahim’s claims come after Deputy Communications and Multimedia Minister Zahidi Zainul Abidin had told the Dewan Negara last week in reply to a question from an MP, that the girl had not actually sat for the exams and that she had shared the video just to garner views for her YouTube channel.
Shortly after, Zahidi had issued an apology to Veveonah, saying he had received “inaccurate information” on the matter.