KUALA LUMPUR: Academics have been urged to base their views and opinions on solid facts and rigourous research, rather than making statements simply to gain popularity.
Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir said that while academics are free to speak on any topic, they must adhere to academic discipline.
"We have individuals referred to as populist intellectuals who speak because they see a topic as popular, believing it will gain their attention such as using theories like (Prophet Muhammad's wife) Siti Khadijah being from Kedah.
"This creates confusion and it is what Professor Syed Hussein Alatas referred to as 'intellectualism essences', which includes what he called the captive mind.
"As intellectuals, we must ensure that people do not start seeing us as the same as those who operate without scholarly rigour.
"Lecturers can speak on any subject, but they must adhere to discipline and their views must be based on strong foundations and supported by reliable data.
"This is something we often remind ourselves of and I hope this explanation provides a clearer overall picture," he said during minister's question time in the Dewan Rakyat.
Zambry said this in response to Datuk Seri Saifuddin Abdullah (PN-Indera Mahkota) regarding measures to prevent incidents such as the UKM ban, which prohibited its staff from making public statements, from recurring.
Earlier, Zambry mentioned that his ministry had requested a review of the Statutory Bodies (Discipline and Surcharge) Act 2000 to allow public universities greater freedom in making statements.
Zambry said the review could also exempt public universities, as statutory bodies, from being subjected to all directives issued by the Public Service Department (PSD).