Former International Islamic University Malaysia (UIAM) academic Dr Solehah Yaacob has said she plans to challenge the termination of her service by taking the matter to the Industrial Court.
Speaking to Free Malaysia Today (FMT), Solehah accused the university of acting unprofessionally and claimed she was given just 24 hours before her dismissal took effect.
‘I was not allowed to appeal’
According to Solehah, she was not given the opportunity to appeal against the university’s decision.
I was dismissed within 24 hours and not allowed to appeal.”
She also claimed that UIAM offered her compensation equivalent to six months of salary, but she turned it down.
Solehah said she would now bring the dispute to the Industrial Court.
UIAM says her service ended on April 27
The development came after UIAM confirmed that Solehah’s service as an academic staff member had officially ended on April 27, 2026.
In a statement, the university’s Office of Communication, Advocacy and Promotion said Solehah was no longer a professor at UIAM and no longer represented the university in any official capacity.
UIAM also said she was no longer permitted to use titles or positions linked to the university or claim any official affiliation with the institution, including in social media content, promotional materials and other forms of publicity.
However, Solehah questioned how the termination was handled.
She claimed that the decision came just one day after she received an award related to the Malaysia Research Assessment, better known as MyRA, from the Ministry of Higher Education.
MyRA, which was developed in 2006, is used to assess the research performance of universities in Malaysia.
Solehah described UIAM’s handling of the matter as “unprofessional”.
Previously drew attention over controversial views
Solehah, who holds a doctorate in Arabic linguistics, has previously attracted public attention over several controversial views concerning Malay history and civilisation.
More recently, she also presented a theory suggesting that the abundance of iron ore in ancient Kedah could have been linked to meteor showers in the distant past.
With Solehah now planning to bring her termination before the Industrial Court, the dispute is expected to shift towards whether the termination process was carried out in accordance with employment laws and procedures.
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