Radzi said Anwar’s figure contradicted the previously reported number of 14,858 absentees.

“When the prime minister says 30,000, where is this data coming from? Who is being dishonest here?” he said at a press conference at Parliament today.

“Either the education minister is providing false information to him, or he is making statements without verifying the facts.”

It was previously reported that 14,858 of the 2022 SPM candidates did not sit for the examination. This was 3.8% of the 388,832 candidates who had registered for the examination.

Radzi also slammed Anwar for insinuating that he had failed to monitor the high number of SPM examination absentees when he was the education minister.

“The written SPM examination took place from Feb 20 to March 15 (this year), and the practical examination was conducted before that,” the Putrajaya MP said.

“None of this occurred during my time. Anwar should direct his questions to the minister in charge at that time, which is Fadhlina Sidek.”

Radzi also said Anwar should refer to a media statement released by the examination board on June 16 last year which included the number of SPM examination absentees in 2021.

“It is as if I had been trying to hide the number of SPM examination absentees, but I am a person of facts,” he said.

Yesterday, Anwar reportedly took a swipe at Radzi over the high number of SPM examination absentees, saying he had failed to monitor the situation.

While Anwar did not specify anyone in particular, Radzi was the education minister in the governments led by former prime ministers Muhyiddin Yassin and Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

Anwar said the high number of absentees was a serious issue, and the failure of the former education minister now needs to be resolved by his successor, Fadhlina.