PUTRAJAYA – Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Zambry Abd Kadir has insisted that the government’s response to the incident at Universiti Malaya (UM), which involved controversial remarks made by an American professor about Malaysia, was not aimed at curbing academic freedom.
Asserting his own academic background, Zambry emphasised the importance of providing a perspective on Portland State University professor Bruce Gilley’s “crude” statements.
“I have never interfered (in the organisation of academic programmes), but this is not academia-related,” he told reporters at his ministry’s Aidilfitri open house event today.
“It is about a statement by an outsider about the nation’s safety, stance, and image.
“I hope those who comment (as such) differentiate between the context of academic freedom and the freedom that touches on the nation’s image and stance in a way that is too crude and dangerous.”
He said this in response to criticism by certain academicians, who said UM did not have to apologise for the incident, as it was common for universities to invite controversial individuals for debate.
Following controversial comments by Gilley on Malaysia’s stance amid the Palestine-Israel conflict, Zambry ordered UM to immediately cancel any scheduled programmes with the professor.
Asked whether the government mulled taking action, Zambry said Gilley fled before anything could commence.
“We haven’t contemplated any form of action yet, but he already took off. Why did he do so and say Malaysia was unsafe and Islamo-fascist? That’s a very dangerous statement,” he said, reiterating that the matter was no longer related to academic freedom.
He also rubbished claims that he ordered all international speakers be “discarded” from Malaysia, adding the need to bring in experts with certain specialties to the nation.
Moving forward, Zambry underscored the importance of conducting background checks before inviting speakers. He added that Malaysia has capable academicians as well.
“(Gilley’s) background… Peer reviews all over the world question him, ‘This type of mediocre intellectual, how did you allow him to teach?’.
“We have better professors in Malaysia than this man. We have great professors here,” he said.
In a now-deleted tweet, Gilley posted a photo of himself giving a speech while standing at a podium bearing UM’s name and crest.
“A country whose political leaders advocate a second Holocaust against the Jewish people will never be a serious player in world affairs and will certainly never be a friend or partner of the United States,” he posted.
In another tweet in the same thread, Gilley said: “This is a long-standing vice of Malaysian politicians going back to Mahathir’s advice to learn from the Germans on how to kill Jews. Today, TV news hosts end daily broadcasts with ‘From the River to the Sea’ and ‘Israel cuak’ (Israel is frightened).”
Yesterday, he tweeted that he had “safely departed” and was away from the “Islamo-fascist mob whipped up by the government”, claiming Malaysia was no longer a safe country to travel to. – April 26, 2024