OPINION | When Half-Baked Educators Serve Half-Baked Ideas

OPINION | When Half-Baked Educators Serve Half-Baked Ideas


8 Nov 2025 • 2:00 PM MYT


Fa Abdul
FA ABDUL is a former columnist of Malaysiakini & Free Malaysia Today (FMT)

Photo by Amar Syazwan Rosman on Unsplash


Only in Malaysia can you wake up, scroll TikTok, and discover that the Romans apparently learned how to build ships from the Malays.


Yes, according to Associate Professor Solehah Yaacob from IIUM, our ancestors didn’t just sail the seas, they taught Caesar how to float. The lecture went viral, and Malaysians did what we do best - comment section comedy. One wrote, “Did the Romans walk to the Malay Peninsula and return by sampan?” Another added, “Next week, she’ll say Malays built the pyramids.”


Now, let’s be clear - I love celebrating our history. We do have a proud maritime past. Our ancestors sailed far and wide before many others even figured out what a compass was. But saying the Romans learned from us? That’s not heritage - that’s historical fan fiction.


And here’s the problem: Solehah isn’t even a maritime historian. She teaches Arabic linguistics. That’s like a dentist giving a TED Talk on black holes. Just because you can speak doesn’t mean you should lecture.


If she truly believes what she’s saying, her credibility to educate students should be questioned. But if she doesn’t - and is just talking from her arse for attention - her credibility should still be questioned. Either way, how is this okay?


Worse still, this isn’t her first rodeo. Earlier, she claimed that the Prophet Muhammad’s wife, Khadijah, was from the “Malay realm.” Before that, she hinted that ancient Malays had supernatural abilities - including the ability to fly. (Yes, fly. Not MAS, not AirAsia. Fly.)


And yet, here she is again, confidently dropping another “revelation” like she’s narrating a historical Marvel movie. Which makes me wonder: Why is this clown still teaching our students?


Are we not worried about what she might be saying in closed-door lectures - without cameras, without public fact-checking, without accountability? This is someone who seems obsessed with crediting every major human achievement to the Malays. That’s not national pride; that’s being delusional. And frankly, I don’t want people like that anywhere near our education system. Do you?


If this is the kind of “knowledge” being served, then we’re raising a generation of students on half-baked ideas from half-baked lecturers. We don’t need educators chasing viral fame or ethnic glorification. We need teachers grounded in facts, research, and integrity.


The Education Ministry must draw the line - not to silence lecturers, but to protect students. Let academics dream big, but demand evidence when those dreams turn into “lectures.” Because when the classroom becomes a stage for fantasy, the only thing that sinks faster than a Roman ship is our faith in the education system.