.jpg)
By Mihar Dias October 2025
If you thought higher education was about opening minds, think again. At UiTM Puncak Alam, it’s apparently about keeping eyes open—by any means necessary.
Enter Madam Ami, the lecturer whose weapon of choice against academic drowsiness isn’t wit, wisdom, or caffeine… but a water gun. Goody Malaysia
Yes, forget Bloom’s Taxonomy, learning outcomes, or pedagogical frameworks. We’ve now moved on to aqua-based behavioural modification. Somewhere, an education theorist is scribbling furiously to add a new entry in the “active learning” handbook: “Step 1 – Arm yourself.”
The viral video shows Madam Ami patrolling her classroom like a sheriff in a Western, ready to squirt justice at any unsuspecting head that dares to nod off. Goody Malaysia
One might even say it’s an innovative form of “liquid discipline”—refreshing in both the literal and figurative sense.
Of course, the internet loves it. Alumni are flooding the comments with nostalgia, declaring, “We miss you, Madam Ami!” and “Best lecturer ever!”
Perhaps this says more about our collective sense of humour than about our education system. Once upon a time, the measure of a great lecturer was the depth of insight they inspired; today, it’s the number of TikTok views they get while wielding a Super Soaker.
Still, credit where it’s due: at least she’s addressing a real problem. Falling asleep in class is a national epidemic.
Between late-night assignments, part-time jobs, and endless group projects, students have perfected the art of staying awake just long enough to sign the attendance sheet.
So if a little splash of cold water keeps them alert, perhaps that’s more humane than the alternative—failing grades and parental disappointment.
But here’s the cynical truth: this episode perfectly captures the state of Malaysian higher education.
Instead of reforming outdated curricula, overcrowded lectures, and assessment methods that test memory more than understanding, we celebrate gimmicks. It’s easier to buy a water gun than to fix the system.
So now we have students armed with laptops and lecturers armed with pistols that shoot water.
What’s next? Nerf bullets for late submissions? Perhaps a drone that hovers over the class and sprays Red Bull mist when attention levels drop below 50%.
Let’s not pretend this is “interactive teaching.” It’s slapstick entertainment masquerading as pedagogy. But maybe that’s what university life has become—a cross between a comedy club and a military drill, where survival depends not on intellect but on reflexes.
At least Madam Ami can boast one undeniable achievement: no one dares to sleep in her class.
Fear, it turns out, remains the most effective learning tool. Just ask any Malaysian student who grew up under the reign of the rotan.
So, the water gun joins the long line of legendary teaching aids—chalk, whiteboard markers, PowerPoint slides, and now, squirt pistols. Somewhere, an education ministry officer is probably considering adding it to the official teaching toolkit.
Malaysia Boleh, indeed. We may not top the global university rankings, but we’ll certainly win gold for “most creative classroom enforcement.”
Sleep tight, students—if you dare.
Mihar Dias (mihardias@gmail.com) is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
The User Content (as defined on Newswav Terms of Use) above including the views expressed and media (pictures, videos, citations etc) were submitted & posted by the author. Newswav is solely an aggregation platform that hosts the User Content. If you have any questions about the content, copyright or other issues of the work, please contact creator@newswav.com.
