KUALA LUMPUR – The International Islamic University Malaysia (UIAM) has established an internal inquiry panel to investigate claims made by Prof Solehah Yaacob regarding Roman civilisation shipbuilding.
The university said that the three-member inquiry panel will be chaired by Deputy Rector (Academic and Internationalisation) Prof Datuk Dr Ahmad Faris Ismail. The remaining members are respected historian Prof Dr Zaid Ahmad from the Abdul Hamid Abu Sulayman Kulliyyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences, and dean of the International Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilisation, Prof Dr Hazizan Noon.
New Straits Times quoted the university saying in a statement yesterday that the inquiry panel is aimed at ensuring a comprehensive and independent review in line with the university’s terms of reference on academic integrity.
“This inquiry will be conducted in accordance with university regulations and will undertake a thorough and independent investigation guided by the established terms of reference for assessing matters related to academic integrity.
“The findings and recommendations formulated by the panel will be submitted to the disciplinary authority for consideration and further action, if necessary,” the university said in the statement.
IIUM emphasised that it would ensure the inquiry process is conducted with the highest level of integrity to safeguard the university’s reputation, credibility and academic trustworthiness.
Solehah, an Arabic language lecturer at IIUM, recently courted controversy when a video of her lecture claiming that the ancient Romans may have learned shipbuilding techniques from the Malay Archipelago went viral.
Following backlash, she defended her remarks and claimed that she had been subjected to “media lynching” in the issue.
In response to the controversy, IIUM clarified that Solehah’s claims were her personal opinions and did not reflect the university’s official stance. It also said that the matter would be investigated internally.
Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir has also weighed in on the debate, advising university lecturers to limit their commentary to issues within their areas of expertise.– November 19, 2025