We have academic freedom, look at the US, says KJ

Former Umno leader Khairy Jamaluddin said US academic Bruce Gilley lied in accusing Malaysia of being anti-Semitic, as Malaysia’s issue was not with Jews or Judaism, but with Zionism. (Keluar Sekejap Facebook pic)

PETALING JAYA: Those who question whether Malaysia has academic freedom should look at the United States where protests are ongoing in universities, says former Umno leader Khairy Jamaluddin.

Speaking in the latest episode of his Keluar Sekejap podcast, Khairy pointed to student protests against US policy on the Israel-Palestine conflict and the genocide in Gaza.

“We now see many demonstrations and sit-ins by students in tents at their campuses in protest… against investments made from their universities’ endowment funds into companies connected to Israel.

“A large uprising is occurring, which we can possibly equate to the student protests in 1968 against the Vietnam war,” he said.

The past week has seen the arrests of hundreds of students in the US rallying for a ceasefire in Gaza and divestment from companies linked to Israel.

Meanwhile, Khairy also hit back at people who said the Malaysian government should not have ejected US academic Bruce Gilley, and should have debated his views intellectually.

“The problem is that his views are not factual. They are obviously fraudulent,” he said.

Gilley had sparked a backlash for purportedly claiming at a Universiti Malaya talk that Malaysia was pushing for a “second Holocaust against the Jewish people”.

The professor of political science at Portland State University was also said to have played down Malaysia’s ties with the US during the talk.

However, Khairy said Gilley lied in accusing Malaysia of being anti-Semitic, as Malaysia’s issue is not with Jews or Judaism, but with Zionism.

“He accused Malaysia of having a policy seeking to kill Jews. That is a lie, a heavy and incorrect accusation that goes beyond the boundaries of academic discussion.

“I think we don’t have a problem with inviting academics from around the world to come to Malaysia and discuss matters academically. But when he crossed the line and made (UM) a platform for his Zionist propaganda, we did not hesitate in cancelling (his events) and asking him to leave Malaysia.”