Credible speakers still welcome in Malaysia

PUTRAJAYA: While the Higher Education Ministry awaits a full report from Universiti Malaya (UM) on the controversial talk by Bruce Gilley held there, it will not pursue any action against him.Its minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir (pic) noted that the US academic had already fled the country.

“So we (the ministry) are not going to pursue Bruce Gilley.

“We are not even contemplating to take any form of action (against him),” he told reporters during the ministry’s Hari Raya open house here yesterday.

Zambry said he is waiting for a full report from UM on the issue.

Despite the incident, the minister said institutions of higher education will not need to refer to the ministry if they invite international personalities to speak to their students.

“The universities’ freedom must be respected,” he added.

Zambry, however, reminded the institutions that it is imperative that thorough background checks on the speakers are conducted.

Stressing that this issue is not about academic freedom but degrading and insulting Malaysia – which has always been a strong supporter of Palestine – Zambry said the ministry is not stopping the many credible international experts from speaking in Malaysia.

He also said that while the ministry will not interfere in the selection of academics to be invited, these experts’ views should not go against Malaysia’s stance on major issues.

“For example, those who are pro-Zionist. They should not make very rude and dangerous statements (here),” he said.

Like Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Zambry also called out Gilley for being a “mediocre lecturer” known for his “sub-standard work”.

“We have many professors in Malaysia who are much better than this guy,” he added.

During his talk at UM on Wednesday, Gilley allegedly downplayed Malaysia’s ties with the United States and also claimed that Malaysia had pushed for a “second Holocaust against the Jewish people”.

He went on to accuse Malaysia of being “not a safe country to travel to currently”, in a post on X on Thursday.