A RECENT viral statement by a professor claiming that a Malay ancient civilisation may have taught a powerful empire the art of shipbuilding caught public attention.
We cannot ignore how cultural pride works in a postcolonial society. But pride must walk together with credible scholarship. Otherwise, we risk letting our hopes override sound academic practice. When someone with a title makes an appealing claim, the public often accepts it without question. This is why governance and academic standards matter.
While academic work allows space for bold ideas – even controversial ones and those that make us uncomfortable – big claims made without showing how the evidence was collected or how the conclusion was reached leave the public to fill in the blanks.
Most people cannot tell the difference between a solid hypothesis and pure speculation. When unclear claims are delivered by someone with the title “professor”, they sound even more convincing. This is where responsible academic governance matters.
Behind every academic title lies a system: promotions, KPIs, teaching, supervision, research, publications, grants, consultancy work – all of these shape the kind of academics we produce. When promotions rely more on numbers than on depth, when journals differ greatly in quality, or when institutions reward compliance more than critical thinking, we risk producing academics who meet requirements but may not reflect strong scholarship.
This recent incident reminds us that academic titles do not appear out of nowhere. A university grants them. A promotions committee reviews them. A governance system is supposed to guard the integrity of those titles. So, when a scholar makes a dramatic claim without clear methodology, the issue is not just the individual; it is also about the system that promoted, endorsed or validated that scholar.
A person may be responsible for their words, but a university carries the responsibility for the trust attached to their title. In this episode, the university concerned issued a statement. It expressed regret, clarified that the view was personal, reminded academics about their responsibilities, and said the matter would be reviewed. That response shows institutions understand the importance of academic integrity when public trust is at stake.
The silence of many academics, however, is worrying. What is it in our governance culture that makes credible scholars hesitate to speak up? Some may not want to be dragged into controversy. Some fear backlash. Others are unsure whether their institutions will stand by them if they express a different view.
When knowledgeable voices stay silent, the public ends up hearing only the loudest voices, and those are not always the most credible. A healthy academic ecosystem should welcome reasoned debate. This could have been an opportunity for a university-led public forum where scholars present their views openly.
If Malaysia wants a society that can weigh ideas, question claims and think critically, then our universities must lead the way. This starts with clear standards for scholarship, promoting the right scholars, improving peer review in local journals, and creating an environment where academics feel safe and supported to speak responsibly.
Good governance is not about punishing people. It is about building a system that produces trustworthy scholarship, governs itself with integrity, and protects the public from confusion. Ideally, academia should have its own internal contestation and quality checks without letting one rotten apple speak for the rest. We certainly do not want our children and grandchildren to be taught by scholars who depend on sensationalism and popular stories instead of rigorous, research-based knowledge.
As a Malay, I want our civilisation to be celebrated. But the best way to honour our heritage is through research that is solid, credible and respected both locally and globally. Bold ideas are always welcome, but they must come with strong evidence.
KHAIRI JAAFAR
Malaysian higher education policy and governance researcher based in Brisbane, Australia, and former university administrator
Note: Last month, Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir reminded academics to refrain from making public comments on matters outside their specialisation after a public varsity lecturer claimed that ancient Romans learnt shipbuilding from the Malays. Her statement had sparked debate among Parliamentarians in the Dewan Rakyat and on social media.
