JUST under two weeks before the tabling of Budget 2025 yesterday (Oct 18), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) issued a circular reminding its academics of a gag order under the Statutory Bodies (Discipline and Surcharge) Act 2000 (Act 605).
Under Section 18(1) of the Act, civil servants are not to issue any media statements about the government.
The timing of the circular dated Oct 8 is rather uncanny. The reminder appears to have been taken out of the page from Barisan Nasional’s (BN) authoritarian playbook. So much for the reformist “Madani” ideals that once pedestalises free speech.
The issue was brought to light by former education minister Maszlee Malik, himself a former academician before venturing into politics on the X platform.
I received this from a fellow academic:
“Sir, hope you are well. A sad day for Malaysia’s academia where Act 605, the real academic freedom killer, has been translated into action. Technically all policy researchers in UKM have their job declared forbidden.” pic.twitter.com/edrIiaZNqh
— Maszlee Malik 🏴🇲🇾 (@maszlee) October 16, 2024
Sure, Act 605 is not new. But why remind everyone about this gag order just before a major fiscal announcement?
Is the administration of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim fearful of being challenged during a crucial period, preferring to silence potential critics rather than engage in meaningful discourse? Or this is merely the job of Little Napoleons? What about all the talks of education reforms?
Universities are supposed to be the ivory towers where ideas are freely exchanged and contested. Clamping down on academic freedom isn’t just counter-productive – it’s dangerous. It sends a chilling message that one must toe the line or face the consequences.
Afraid of its own shadow?
If academics cannot freely critique government policies, who will hold those in power accountable? Is the administration so fragile that it cannot tolerate a few dissenting voices?
This brings back memories of the 1MDB scandal. Remember Nor Salwani Muhammad, the brave civil servant who secretly recorded a high-level meeting where attempts were made to alter the audit report?
Her courage to speak up played a key role in exposing the scandal. It wasn’t just about revealing corruption; it was about defending the truth, no matter what the cost is. That kind of courage should be celebrated, not stifled.
Yet, with this circular signed by the UKM registrar, the Madani government seems to have forgotten the lessons that transparency and accountability are indispensable to democratic governance.
The Madani administration came to power on promises of reform, pledging a shift from the authoritarian practices of BN. Yet, it finds itself practising the very things it had criticised the BN of in the past.
By resurrecting Act 605, it risks turning the clock back to an era many Malaysians hoped was behind them. This isn’t the reformasi that was promised or has it morphed into “reformati“?
The gag order may succeed in keeping academics quiet but at what cost? A university should foster critical thinking – not compliance. It should be a space where policies are debated, flaws are exposed and solutions are sought.
Is the Madani government so insecure about the Budget 2025’s reception? Or has it simply adopted BN’s old habits, forgetting why those very habits were rejected by voters in the first place?
By muzzling the voices of academics, the Madani government is not just turning its back on reforms – it is erasing its own legitimacy. – Oct 19, 2025
