The International Islamic University Malaysia terminated linguistics professor Solehah Yaacob on April 27, 2026, barring her from using university titles after she claimed ancient Romans learned shipbuilding from Malays. Solehah has challenged the dismissal in Malaysia’s Industrial Court, arguing she received a Ministry of Higher Education research award just prior.
International Islamic University Malaysia Terminates Academic Service
The International Islamic University Malaysia confirmed the termination of academic Solehah Yaacob, whose service ended effective from Apr. 27, 2026
, local news outlets reported, citing a statement from the institution’s Office of Communication, Advocacy and Promotion. The university stated that she is no longer a professor or representative of the institution in any official capacity.
The institutional decision follows a series of public controversies surrounding Solehah’s historical and scientific claims. Solehah delivered the controversial lecture on Dec. 31, 2022, but it only resurfaced on Oct. 31, 2025. In November 2025, she made headlines after claiming ancient Romans may have learnt shipbuilding techniques from Malay seafarers. She responded to the backlash on Nov. 9, 2025 and doubled down on her claims. Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Zambry Abdul Kadir subsequently advised university academics to avoid making claims beyond their areas of expertise, while IIUM had previously stressed that her views did not represent the university’s official position.
More recently in August, Solehah suggested that Kedah’s iron ore wealth may have originated from meteor showers, which fuelled debate and controversy across academic and public circles. Earlier in her public commentary, Solehah also alleged that iron ore deposits in Malaysia were the result of meteor strikes, and previously made claims that ancient Malays could fly and taught the Chinese “flying kung fu”, reported FMT.
Restrictions on Titles and Institutional Affiliation
The university’s administrative directives prohibit Solehah from maintaining any formal or informal tie to the campus brand. The institution mandated that she is barred from using any official title, position, or affiliation linking her to the university across public platforms.
This restriction covers promotional materials, media reporting, publications, advertising, social media content, publicity materials, or other forms of dissemination, whether directly or indirectly, that involve Solehah. Administrators noted that the clarification aims to prevent public confusion and protect the institution’s academic standing and integrity across Malaysia’s higher education landscape.
“IIUM hopes that with this clarification regarding Solehah’s service status and official association with the university, confusion and future misunderstandings among the public can be avoided.”
Office of Communication, Advocacy and Promotion, International Islamic University Malaysia
Industrial Court Challenge and Ministry Research Award
Solehah has disputed the university’s actions, taking her dismissal to Malaysia’s Industrial Court, according to an Aug. 23 Free Malaysia Today article. She has a doctorate in Arabic linguistics and was previously a professor at the university, serving as an Arabic language and linguistics academic at IIUM.
Describing the speed of her firing, Solehah stated that I was dismissed within 24 hours and not allowed to appeal
when speaking with the outlet. She also confirmed that she refused IIUM’s compensation offer, which was equivalent to six months’ of her salary.
Contesting the professionalism of the university’s handling, Solehah told FMT that IIUM was unprofessional in dismissing her as she had also been awarded the Malaysia Research (MyRa) Assessment award by the Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia a day prior. According to the Consortia Advancing Standards in Research Administration Information, MyRA is used to evaluate the performance of Malaysian universities and was developed in 2006.
Academic Staff Association Pressure and Institutional Integrity
The International Islamic University Malaysia Academic Staff Association urged the university’s management to take firm action against academics whose conduct or public statements breach ethical, professional, or academic standards.
Although the staff association did not name anyone, its statement is believed to refer to Arabic language lecturer Solehah Yaacob, who recently claimed that the Romans learned shipbuilding from the Malays. University representatives emphasized that the separation remains final as the clarification was issued on Aug. 23 to uphold institutional integrity and academic standing.
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