Higher Education Ministry calls for stronger oversight of student activities to ensure creative expression respects public sensitivity and cultural norms.
KUALA LUMPUR: The Ministry of Higher Education has urged all institutions of higher learning to strengthen guidance and monitoring of student activities to ensure creative expression remains within the bounds of public sensitivity.
Higher Education director-general Datuk Prof Dr Azlinda Azman said the recent controversial theatre performance at Universiti Malaya should serve as a lesson in ensuring student works are grounded in local cultural values and norms.
She characterised the incident as an oversight by enthusiastic students eager to showcase artistic talent, which led to public sensitivity being overlooked but without any ill intent.
Azlinda stated that universities must always be sensitive, as young people’s work is sometimes driven more by enthusiasm than by any negative intentions.
She therefore emphasised that IPTs must play a guiding and advisory role to ensure student creativity does not exceed sensitivity limits while continuing to preserve eastern culture.
The director-general made these remarks after visiting the Astaka KPT at the Defence Services Asia and National Security Exhibition Asia 2026.
Azlinda confirmed that MOHE had received an official report on the incident and would leave it to the university to take appropriate follow-up action.
Universiti Malaya issued an apology on Thursday over the incident at its Karnival Teater UM event.
The university admitted that some performed scenes were not in line with the original script that had undergone a screening process.
It stated that the performance violated the competition’s established conditions as it contained elements that could affect religious, moral and cultural values.
The issue gained public attention on April 16 after a clip of the scene went viral on social media, drawing widespread criticism.