SHAH ALAM – When a professor from the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) claimed that ancient Romans learned shipbuilding techniques from Malay seafarers, few expected it to evolve into one of Malaysia’s most heated academic controversies of 2025.
The statement by Professor Dr Solehah Yaacob, a lecturer in Arabic linguistic thought, triggered widespread ridicule, official responses from IIUM and debate over the boundaries of academic freedom.
How the Controversy Began
On Nov 5, a video of Solehah’s lecture circulated online, in which she claimed that the Romans learned from the Malays how to build ships, claiming the Malays had inherited their skills from the Phoenicians.
“Our ancestors had large ships, hundreds of vessels, as recorded in various articles. I still have many of these articles, but I cannot reveal them all,” she said.
Her remarks came shortly after the discovery of a 13th-century shipwreck off Pulau Melaka, believed to be one of the oldest found in Malaysia.
She linked this archaeological find to what she described as the long and rich maritime history of the Malay world, suggesting that such knowledge may have influenced ancient Rome through early seafaring exchanges.
According to her, Malay maritime expertise dated back to the Funan Kingdom and the Srivijaya Empire, with the region’s abundance of gold, tin and iron making it a hub for trade and shipbuilding.
“Our ancestors were once wealthy because we had gold. Our land has gold, iron, gemstones and tin ore, but our own people do not know this. Outsiders came to our land to take them,” she claimed.
The Immediate Backlash
The claim was met with sharp criticism from academics, alumni and the public.
IIUM’s Academic Staff Association (Asa) issued a statement condemning the conduct of unnamed academics, widely interpreted as a reference to Solehah, for damaging the university’s reputation.
“The credibility of our institution rests on the integrity, accountability and professionalism of its academic staff,” Asa said in the statement.
Social media users mockingly dubbed her “Prof Sambal Belacan,” a moniker first popularised by influencer Manan Razali, who accused her of “making fools of the Malays” by presenting folklore as history.
Political commentator Professor James Chin described her claims as “pure pseudoscience,” adding that her defenders often use cultural pride to shield questionable theories.
“Dare to challenge her ideas? You’re branded anti-Malay, anti-Islam, or worse, a tool of colonial erasure,” he said.
IIUM’s Response and the Minister’s Warning
On Nov 6, IIUM officially distanced itself from Solehah’s statement, clarifying that her remarks do not reflect the university’s official stance.
The university’s Communication, Advocacy and Promotion Office said it deeply regretted the incident, acknowledging the harm caused to IIUM’s academic integrity.
“IIUM upholds academic freedom, but such freedom must be exercised responsibly and grounded in academic accuracy,” the statement read.
It confirmed that an internal review was underway and that action would follow once investigations concluded.
That same day, Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir reminded lecturers to remain within their fields of expertise.
“We do not stop lecturers from expressing opinions within their respective areas of study.
“However, it becomes problematic when they speak as though they are experts in unrelated disciplines,” he clarified.
He likened academics to doctors, saying they should only offer opinions within their specialisations to maintain credibility.
Criticism from the Academic Community
Former Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) lecturer Dr P Ramasamy, who now chairs Urimai (United for the Rights of Malaysians), criticised IIUM’s handling of the issue, calling its response weak.
“How can personal opinions, when expressed publicly under the banner of academic authority, be immune from accountability?” he asked.
He argued that dismissing Solehah’s remarks as personal opinion amounted to an abdication of responsibility.
“Those in charge of academic standards at IIUM should be ashamed of defending what is clearly indefensible,” he said.
Ramasamy also warned that defending unsubstantiated claims would make a mockery of Malaysian higher education.
Professor Solehah’s Defence
On Nov 9, Solehah took to Facebook to defend herself, claiming she had been a victim of media lynching.
She said her hypothesis was grounded in classical Arabic sources that describe how the Romans may have acquired maritime knowledge from Southeast Asian civilizations.
“The Malays were among the first peoples in human civilisation to develop the art of shipbuilding. The Romans, like many other civilisations, inherited maritime knowledge from earlier seafaring cultures, particularly the Malay world,” she wrote.
She cited works including PY Manguin’s The Southeast Asian Ship: An Historical Approach and RL Smith’s Premodern Trade in World History as supporting references.
Solehah also said museum archives in Australia recorded that the finest deep-sea shipbuilders originated from Austronesia and pointed to historical accounts suggesting the first man to sail around the world was a Malay.
She argued that the term “Malay” predates “Austronesian,” which she said was a later European classification.
“Before that term existed, who were these seafaring people? Clearly, during the Srivijaya Empire, recognised as the Great Malay Maritime Empire, our ancestors were already acknowledged as Malays,” she said.
Linking the Theory to Kedah and Classical Arabic Texts
Solehah further referenced Al-Biruni and Al-Kindi, Islamic scholars who mentioned the art of iron-smelting in Qal’a, which she identified with ancient Kedah.
She argued that poor European timber quality may have forced the Romans to seek expert navigators from Egypt, India and the Malay Archipelago to source iron for their weapons.
“The Romans, Vikings and Slavs were known for seeking high-quality iron,” she said, referring to classical Arabic terms such as “Al-Qal’a al-Rumi,” or “the Roman sword of Qal’a.”
Standing Firm on Academic Freedom
Despite widespread ridicule, Solehah maintained that her hypothesis, right or wrong, deserved space in scholarly debate.
“In both our academic and Islamic traditions, we are taught to respect differing opinions. Scholars should not be persecuted for expressing differing views,” she pointed out.
She compared her situation to that of Giordano Bruno, the Italian philosopher executed in 1600 for his unconventional cosmological theories, arguing that intolerance toward academic diversity mirrors historical mistakes.
“In Islam, we do not persecute or condemn scholars for their views, as the Church once did with Giordano Bruno,” she wrote.
The Broader Debate: Academic Freedom vs Accountability
The controversy surrounding Solehah has reignited debate about academic freedom in Malaysia, particularly the fine line between intellectual exploration and scholarly responsibility.
While some defend her right to theorise, others believe universities must act decisively when personal opinions threaten institutional credibility.
IIUM, for now, has maintained that it values free inquiry but will continue its internal review into the case—a reminder of how one academic statement can ripple into national debate about truth, pride and the limits of scholarship.