If you or I say something foolish, the damage is limited. We alone will have to live with the consequences of our foolishness. But when an official of an institution says something foolish, the matter becomes grave — for it is not just the individual, but the entire institution that must bear the burden of that folly.
An institution — whether it be the police, the judiciary, or a university — exists on the strength of its values, ethos, and intellectual integrity. Those who represent it must embody those principles. When a university lecturer, for instance, speaks in a way that raises doubts about their grasp of logic or evidence, the reputation of the whole university comes into question.
If the institution is truly of worth, one must ask: why did it hire such a person? And more importantly, why does it not reprimand or dismiss them when their words publicly contradict the spirit and standards of the institution? The failure to act not only undermines the credibility of the lecturer but also exposes the institution as being compromised or complacent.
This is precisely the conundrum now facing IIUM (International Islamic University Malaysia), following the controversy surrounding lecturer Solehah Yaacob and her viral claim that the Romans learned shipbuilding from the Malays.
The claim, made during a lecture, came in response to the discovery of a 13th-century shipwreck off Pulau Melaka, believed to be one of the oldest ever found off Malaysia’s coast. The massive wooden vessel, estimated to be between 800 and 900 years old, represents a major archaeological milestone. But instead of sparking academic discussion grounded in evidence, the incident has turned into a social media spectacle — thanks to Solehah’s ill-considered remarks.
Now, personally, I have no issue with speculative or even fringe theories — I am, after all, a fan of Graham Hancock, who has made a career out of challenging mainstream archaeological thought. But Hancock, despite being a non-academic, builds his conjectures on mountains of reasoning and research. Even then, he is routinely criticised by established scholars for taking liberties with historical interpretation.
In Malaysia, however, it seems we have turned that dynamic on its head. Here, it is not the outsiders challenging the establishment who are mocked for their unfounded theories — it is the insiders, the academics themselves, who are being ridiculed for making outlandish claims without the slightest regard for academic discipline or intellectual honesty.
This has now drawn the attention of Higher Education Minister Zambry Abdul Kadir, who cautioned academics to “stick to their area of expertise.” In his view, professors and lecturers should be seen as reference points within their respective fields — much like specialist doctors, who are trusted precisely because they speak only within the scope of their training and experience .
“When a professor in a technical field speaks as though they are an expert in an unrelated area,” Zambry warned, “even if their views may appear reasonable, such remarks raise questions in the academic community when presented as personal expertise.” His comments reflect a larger anxiety — that the erosion of academic credibility is becoming too common, and too public.
Meanwhile, IIUM’s own Academic Staff Association (ASA) has issued a statement echoing similar concerns. Without naming Solehah directly, ASA called for the university to “take firm action” against any academic whose public statements breach ethical or professional standards.
ASA stressed that the university must not treat such matters lightly, warning that “the credibility of our institution rests on the integrity, accountability, and professionalism of its academic staff.” It reminded the IIUM community that as an institution “founded on the pursuit of truth, justice, and ethical scholarship,” all members must uphold the highest standards of academic integrity and intellectual honesty — both within and outside the classroom.
In essence, the issue is no longer about whether ancient Romans copied Malay shipbuilders. It is about whether our institutions still understand the weight of their own authority. A university lecturer is not an influencer. Their words carry institutional endorsement, and thus they must be wielded with care, precision, and humility.
Because when academics speak foolishly, they do not merely embarrass themselves — they cast a shadow over the very institutions that gave them the platform to speak. And if the institutions do not act, then perhaps the foolishness is no longer confined to the individual, but has become institutionalised.
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