The Academic Staff Association (ASA) of the International Islamic University Malaysia would like to highlight our concern regarding an upcoming public lecture scheduled for 18 August at the main hall of the International Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilisation (Istac) at IIUM.
The lecture features Razak Baginda as a guest speaker on the topic Asia’s ‘Heroes and Villains: A Study of Leadership’.
We recognise the IIUM’s tradition of hosting speakers with diverse backgrounds and do not seek to prevent this lecture from proceeding.
However, we note that Razak Baginda has been found civilly liable by the courts in connection with the death of Altantuya Shaariibuu, a finding upheld by the Court of Appeal in January 2026.
Given the sensitivity of this history and the lecture’s own theme of leadership and accountability, we believe the event would benefit from a more balanced platform.
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If the university decides to take the risk to proceed with the programme, we respectfully request that the organiser considers the following:
- Inviting a co-speaker or discussant to join the session, offering an additional or contrasting perspective on the theme of leadership
- Providing a structured open question-and-answer segment with sufficient time allocated for critical engagement from attendees
- Ensuring the moderator is given the freedom to raise questions of leadership and accountability directly relevant to the speaker’s own public history, in keeping with the spirit of open academic inquiry
- Replacing the speaker with an alternative figure not associated with a finding of civil liability, who is better aligned with the university’s reputational standards for public intellectual events
We believe these measures would strengthen the academic integrity of the event, model critical engagement for students, and protect the university’s reputation for balanced discourse without requiring the university to take a position on the speaker himself.
Looking ahead, we would like to suggest the establishment of a reasonable vetting protocol in selecting the speakers, which may prevent unnecessary backlash to the good name of our beloved university. – ASA
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