Professor who said Malays could fly sacked by Malaysian university
A Malaysian Islamic university has formally distanced itself from an academic whose viral claims about ancient Malay civilisation – including that Malays could fly and taught the Chinese “flying kung fu” – have drawn ridicule from historians. In a statement on Sunday, the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) said Solehah Yaacob, a former linguistics professor, had been terminated from…
Malaysian Islamic university IIUM has formally severed ties with a professor whose claims about ancient Malay civilization, including that Malays could fly and Chinese learned "flying kung fu" from them, have been ridiculed by historians. Solehah Yaacob, a former linguistics professor, was dismissed from her academic position on April 27 and barred from using any official association with the university.
She is challenging her termination in Malaysia's Industrial Court, accusing the institution of unprofessionalism. Yaacob had previously claimed ancient Romans learned shipbuilding from Malay seafarers and suggested Kedah's iron ore wealth might originate from meteor showers. Her controversial assertions have drawn criticism from academics who deemed her statements illogical and damaging to historical understanding.
James Chin, a scholar of Asian studies at the University of Tasmania, noted that her theories have gained a following among the Malay community, leading her to offer paid boat-cruise tours based on her research. IIUM's decision to terminate Yaacob's services was seen as a response to the negative publicity surrounding her controversial statements.
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