From Romans learn shipbuilding from Malays to Flying Malays: Top 10 mockeries levelled at Prof Sambal Belacan

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WHETHER her claims are pseudoscience or sheer academic fiction, Prof Solehah Yacoob no longer needs introduction for her popularity must have skyrocketed after the South China Morning Post (SCMP) headlined her latest findings, Professor Kangkung’: Malaysian Academic Mocked for Roman Shipbuilding Theory.

Even prior to SCMP’s exposure, the International Islamic University’s (IIUM) linguistic thought expert has gained wide coverage across all media and social media platforms ever since her claim of ancient Romans learned the art of shipbuilding from the Malays went viral.

Given that global netizens have poured a wide array of thoughts onto the matter, FocusM has painstakingly compiled what can best be described as the “Top 10 Mockeries Levelled at Prof Sambal Belacan”. Here goes:

Mockery #1

Early last year, Prof Solehah been dubbed as Prof Sambal Belacan (literally spicy shrimp paste professor) by a pro-Islamist influencer “for over-enthusiastically making fools of the Malays”.

Describing the Arabic language and literature expert as “a painstaking storyteller (penglipur lara) who persistently goes around the village”, the reason why she was ‘awarded’ that accolade was because that of “Prof Kangkung has already been taken by another Professor who became very popular prior to GE14 (the 14th General Election)”.

Mockery #2

Vocal human rights activist and lawyer Siti Kasim landed some jabs:

The academics in IIUM must have enough of this professor’s frequent claim how fantastic and supernatural the majority race is in Malaysia.

As a Malay, I don’t need this kind of claims from this type of academic to show how great and fantastic the Malays are.

Instead, she is an embarrassment to the Malays. Every human being no matter what race has their strengths and weaknesses.

Mockery #3 (Counter strike)

For check and balance sake, there is this view that we feel deserve a slot in our list. It’s not a mocking but actually a defence of the good professor’s theory. We took the liberty to only retain the ‘juicy’ part:

The Malay world is part of a much older and wider family called the Austronesians – the people whose descendants today live across Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Madagascar and all the way across the Pacific islands.

They were the earliest and most capable open-ocean sailors in human history. These were people who crossed thousands of kilometres of open sea, guided by stars, winds, ocean swell and bird flight patterns.

So, the professor’s point is not that Roman ships looked Malay or Austronesian – they clearly did not. Rather, the point is:

Rome’s ability to travel far depended on a seafaring tradition that had already matured in the Austronesian world.
The science of the sea – buoyancy, stability, hull behaviour, monsoon timing – was not new to the ocean when Rome arrived.

The Austronesians did not wait for the world to discover the ocean. They were already in it – living, learning and crossing it – long before Rome followed.

And that part of the professor’s message is not absurd at all. It is, in fact, one of the most remarkable and under-acknowledged truths of global history.

Mockery #4

Enough with serious stuff for today (Nov 9) is a Sunday.

The next thing she will say is that Indians learned the Kamasutra from the ancient Malays.

Mockery #5

Confirmed! Her PhD is Permanent Head Damage!

Mockery #6

Dear Dr Jason Leong, we thought medical doctor can tell us a lot of jokes. But now we have historian doctor that also can tell us jokes. Your comedian career is now in trouble.

Mockery #7

She got the impression and inspiration from these (Mat Rempit’s superman manoeuvres).

Mockery #8

Yes, Malays can fly, that’s why (Tan Sri) Muhyidin’s son-in law flew away and never return back.

Mockery #9

I always wondered why Chinese can fly as we have seen in the movies; didn’t know they adopted this such power from our friend Malays .

Mockery #10

She flies to her home state Kelantan every weekend. You all never see before, ah? – Nov 9, 2025

 

Main image credit: SEA Heritage & History/Facebook

The post From Romans learn shipbuilding from Malays to Flying Malays: Top 10 mockeries levelled at Prof Sambal Belacan first appeared on Focus Malaysia.

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