KUALA LUMPUR – The National Islamic Youths Association (Pembina) has urged Universiti Malaya (UM) to take stern action against those who recently invited controversial US academician Bruce Gilley for talks.
Ibrahim Allam, president of UM’s Pembina chapter, said the university’s administration should be fair, especially considering that students could face severe consequences, including expulsion, for inviting such controversial figures for talks.
“Even though the university has issued a public apology (over the matter), we think it is not enough. The event organisers and individuals involved in inviting Gilley should be given appropriate punishment.
“Students are often at risk of being expelled if we are found to have done anything remotely close (to the recent incident). If students were found to have invited any politically related individual for talks, the invitation would be cancelled (right away).
“The same should be applied to the lecturers or academicians behind this matter. (In fact), they should be dismissed.
“The procedure to invite anybody for talks is usually very strict. So how can this be missed by the administration and those who approved (having Gilley here)? Gilley should have never stepped into UM (for the talk),” he told reporters after lodging a police report against Gilley at Pantai police station today.
Ibrahim, on behalf of the association, had lodged a police report against the academician.
He said he hoped police would probe Gilley under Section 4(c) of the Sedition Act 1948.
“We wanted the government to note (in their system) that Gilley had committed a crime in this country, where he had committed incitement against our leaders.
“We see that legal action (against Gilley) is more careful and more appropriate for us to take. We wanted him blacklisted from returning to the country. That is our ultimate goal.”
Gilley, who is a political science professor, kicked up a storm on April 24 with his comments, which were posted on X, where he said, “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.”
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 and how to kill Jews. Today, TV news hosts end daily broadcasts with ‘From the River to the Sea’, and ‘Israel Cuak’ (Israel is frightened).
His posts also include an image of him giving a speech while standing at a podium bearing UM’s name and crest.
Having made his exit known, Gilley also took it to X in saying that he had left Malaysia, a country he deemed as “unsafe”.
His series of X posts had then not only angered Malaysians but also garnered attention from the higher education minister as well as former foreign affairs minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Abdullah.
The controversy forced UM to immediately cancel an event featuring Gilley on April 25.
Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Zambry Abd Kadir had urged universities to conduct thorough background checks before inviting speakers, adding that Malaysia has its own set of capable academicians as well.
The university also issued a public apology over the matter the next day (April 25), reiterating its support for Malaysia’s stance on the Palestine-Israel conflict.
Earlier today, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim criticised the move to bring Gilley into the country, saying, “A mediocre scholar should not be brought in as a visiting professor.”
Meanwhile, the US embassy in Malaysia has distanced itself from Gilley’s remarks, maintaining that Malaysia remains a safe destination for travel. – April 26, 2024