OPINION | “Professor Kangkungs” : The tale of two Malaysian Professors
11 Nov 2025 • 4:00 PM MYT
TheRealNehruism
An award-winning Newswav creator, Bebas News columnist & ex-FMT columnist
Image credit: IIUM / TVS
In recent days, two very different figures — Siti Nurhaliza and Solehah Yaacob — have found themselves at the centre of controversy. One, a national icon whose voice has defined generations; the other, a lecturer whose outlandish claim that the Romans learned shipbuilding from the Malays drew ridicule across the nation.
Both stories, however different, seem to point toward the same rot: the rise of what Malaysian sociologist Syed Hussein Alatas once called the “Professor Kangkung.”
The Meaning of “Professor Kangkung”
The term “Professor Kangkung” is a uniquely Malaysian pejorative coined by the late sociologist Syed Hussein Alatas to describe academics who hold lofty titles but lack intellectual depth, rigour, or integrity.
The metaphor comes from kangkung or water spinach — a vegetable that grows abundantly, has long hollow stems, and requires little care. The image is aptly represents the Professor Kangkungs, who are deemed to be are plentiful in our universities, despite being hollow in intellect and thrive in conditions where mediocrity is tolerated.
They are known for superficial work — books heavy on glossy covers but light on content — and for substituting genuine scholarship with self-promotion. Instead of engaging in rigorous, peer-reviewed research, they seek validation through social media, ceremonies, and the applause of the uninformed public.
To Alatas, they represent the corruption of academia itself: when the pursuit of truth gives way to the pursuit of status.
The Glamour of Titles: UiTM’s Celebrity Professor
This week, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) proudly announced the appointment of Datuk Seri Siti Nurhaliza as an adjunct professor at its Faculty of Business and Management.
UiTM’s vice-chancellor praised the move as a recognition of her entrepreneurial achievements, highlighting her “creativity, integrity, and innovation in business.” Siti herself responded with humility, pledging to inspire students with lessons in hard work, honesty, and perseverance.
Yet, the decision sparked immediate backlash. Parti Bumiputera Perkasa Bersatu (Putra) demanded that UiTM explain the academic criteria behind the appointment. Its youth chief, Dr Mohamad Izwan Zainal, warned that UiTM — once a menara ilmu bangsa, a tower of knowledge — must not become a “stage for glamour or a political tool.”
He argued that when “the dignity of knowledge is pawned, the nation loses its direction.” His statement cuts deep, because it touches on a growing fear: that Malaysian universities now reward visibility over intellect, popularity over principle.
No one questions Siti’s achievements as an artist or entrepreneur. But the question is whether celebrity status, no matter how inspiring, qualifies one for a university post that carries academic prestige.
When the line between scholar and star blurs, we edge dangerously close to the world of Professor Kangkungs — where titles are handed out not for ideas, but for image.
The Hollow Lecture: IIUM’s Embarrassing Episode
Meanwhile, at the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), Solehah Yaacob, an Arabic lecturer, became infamous for her claim that the Romans learned shipbuilding from the Malays.
Independent scholar Sharifah Munirah Alatas blasted the university’s management for failing to act, calling out the institution for allowing “inept professors” to tarnish IIUM’s name and that of its respected rector, Osman Bakar.
She lamented that despite repeated warnings, the lecturer continued to make “unsubstantiated claims,” further embarrassing Malaysia’s academic community. The Higher Education Minister, Zambry Abdul Kadir, later reminded lecturers to remain within their areas of expertise and to uphold scholarly credibility — not dabble in sensationalism.
This, too, is a classic symptom of the Professor Kangkung phenomenon: loud opinions, little scholarship.
The Two Faces of Mediocrity
At first glance, these stories appear unrelated — one is about glamour entering academia, the other about ignorance within it. But both reveal how Malaysia’s universities are drifting away from their original mission.
In the first case, the Professor Kangkung emerges from adoration — where titles are granted to please, not to honour scholarship. In the second, it arises from neglect — where incompetence festers because no one cares enough to enforce standards.
Together, they show that our universities no longer defend the sanctity of intellect. They have become bureaucracies chasing headlines and harmony, rather than truth and integrity.
When Institutions Forget Their Meaning
An institution, in its truest sense, is more than a building, a bureaucracy, or a nameplate. It is a living embodiment of values, ethos, and principles. Its officers — professors, rectors, administrators — are meant to internalize those ideals, to become them, and to transmit them to future generations.
When institutions appoint professors who do not embody these values — or tolerate those who openly betray them — they cease to function as moral or intellectual authorities.
Universities once stood as the guardians of truth. Today, they seem content to be factories of reputation — handing out titles to celebrities for prestige, and tolerating pseudoscientists for peace.
If Professor Kangkungs continue to multiply, hollow and abundant like the vegetable that inspired the term, then perhaps our universities have already lost their substance — and with it, their right to be called institutions at all.
