KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 24 — Academics and scholars should only make statements in areas of their discipline and backed with facts and data, Higher Education Minister Zambry Abdul Kadir said today.

He warned academics against making populist statements, when answering Pulai MP Suhaizan Kaiat’s supplementary question on differentiating intellectual freedom from the potential for irresponsible parties to monopolise academic discourse.

"The baseless theory that (Islamic Prophet Muhammad’s wife) Siti Khadijah came from Kedah, for example, which caused confusion.

"As Syed Hussein Alatas described it, this is ‘intellectual laziness,’ a form of ‘captive mind, ‘” he said during the ministerial question session at parliament.

He said that it would be unfortunate if intellectuals were seen to have no more credibility in their fields than any ordinary person.

"University lecturers can say anything, but it must be tied to their discipline and good foundations, good data,” Zambry said citing Edward Said’s book "The Representation of the Intellectual” which said people are given the freedom to speak on any subject based on traditions and facts.

The controversial claim has been attributed to International Islamic University of Malaysia (IIUM) Prof Solehah Yaacob, who purported that the Prophet’s wife originated from the "Malay archipelago”, in a video that went viral.

In September, Solehah, who specialises in the philosophy of Arabic Grammar, denied she made such an assertion and said the video was edited.

She clarified that she was posing a question to the audience to think, news site Malaysia Gazette reported.

IIUM subsequently took action via its code of ethics.

Zambry then said if there was any confusion or ambiguity on the directives issued by universities, such concerns should be directed to the relevant parties including the Higher Education Ministry.