From Mat Kilau to flying Malays: How communal anxieties fuel alternative history publishers

Former linguistics professor Solehah Yaacob, known for her controversial revisionist claims about ancient Malays, continues to attract a significant following despite her dismissal from the International Islamic University Malaysia.

Her assertions, which include claims of ancient Malay prowess and religious connections, have sparked international ridicule and domestic debate.

Sociologists attribute her popularity to underlying socio-political anxieties within the Malay community, while the demand for alternative historical narratives highlights broader global trends.

Critics, however, warn that such revisionism may undermine public historical literacy by veering into fantasy rather than myth.

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 28 — From claiming that ancient Malays could fly to asserting that they taught the Romans naval shipbuilding, former linguistics professor Solehah Yaacob has drawn international ridicule while stirring passionate debate at home.

Although she was dismissed by the International Islamic University Malaysia in April, her revisionist claims retain a fervent following.

Boasting over 500,000 followers across Facebook and TikTok, Solehah continues to draw thousands of viewers, while her in-person Lost Malay History and Civilisation seminars remain in high demand, The Straits Times reported.

Sociologists trace the phenomenon to contemporary communal insecurities.

Aziff Azuddin of Iman Research said: “My reading is that the multicultural landscape of Malaysia, as well as Malay socio-political and economic anxieties, is why nativists, right-wingers – and people like Solehah – have such a purchase among some sections of the Malay community.”

Despite comprising over 60 per cent of Malaysia's 34 million citizens and holding constitutionally protected status, persistent economic anxieties continue to feed fears of marginalisation among some in the community, creating fertile ground for historical revisionism.

The revisionist push extends beyond social media personalities. Academics such as Universiti Sains Malaysia historian Azmi Arifin have questioned standard history syllabuses for over-relying on British colonial perspectives, arguing that terms like “feudal” fail to capture traditional Malay governance. He noted that anti-colonial figures like Pahang warrior Mat Kilau were unfairly branded as “rebels”.

Denying the pre-Islamic past

To assert historical supremacy, fringe revisionists often attempt to erase Malaysia's pre-Islamic heritage.

In a lecture in September, Solehah dismissed the country’s archaeological Hindu-Buddhist past as “mere propaganda” concocted by Western colonisers. Her videos blend local folklore with religious scripture, claiming that the prophet Abraham was Malay and that Moses visited Kedah's Gunung Jerai.

Cultural historian Eddin Khoo argued that defining Malay identity exclusively through a puritanical religious lens has made the region's pre-Islamic heritage uncomfortable for nativists.

“Solehah is a fantasist, but people want to believe that about themselves,” Khoo said. “To them, everything must trace back to their puritanical idea of Islam; otherwise, it is illegitimate.”

Khoo noted the irony in seeking monocultural purity when historical Malay societies were deeply cosmopolitan, pointing to Portuguese chronicler Tomé Pires’s account of 84 languages spoken in 16th-century Melaka.

Commercial appetite for alternative history

The demand for revisionist narratives is also commercial. Novelist and sociologist Faizal Musa pointed to the popularity of alternative history publishers such as The Patriots, whose online bookstore commands over 52,000 followers.

“Simple explanations are often seen as more appealing and credible than complex ones, particularly when they appear capable of being tested or disproved,” Faizal said, adding that such revisionist trends are a global phenomenon.

Khoo cautioned that unchecked pseudohistory erodes public historical literacy: “Myth has an important role in not just Malay, but also Asian history; however, this is not even myth – it is fantasy.”

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前语言学教授索莱哈·雅各布因其对古代马来人的争议性修正主义言论而闻名，尽管她已被马来西亚国际伊斯兰大学解雇，但她仍然吸引了大量追随者。

她声称马来人拥有古代的强大力量和宗教联系，这些说法引发了国际社会的嘲笑和国内的争论。

社会学家认为，她的受欢迎程度源于马来社群内部潜在的社会政治焦虑，而对另类历史叙事的需求则凸显了更广泛的全球趋势。

然而，批评人士警告说，这种修正主义可能会偏离正轨，走向幻想而非神话，从而削弱公众的历史素养。

吉隆坡，9 月 28 日讯——从声称古代马来人会飞，到断言他们教会了罗马人造船技术，前语言学教授索莱哈·雅各布的言论在国际上招致嘲笑，同时在国内引发了激烈的辩论。

尽管她于四月份被马来西亚国际伊斯兰大学解雇，但她的修正主义主张仍然拥有一批狂热的追随者。

据《海峡时报》报道，Solehah 在 Facebook 和 TikTok 上拥有超过 50 万粉丝，持续吸引着成千上万的观众，而她举办的“失落的马来历史与文明”线下研讨会也依然备受欢迎。

社会学家将这种现象追溯到当代社会的不安全感。

伊曼研究公司的阿齐夫·阿祖丁表示：“我的理解是，马来西亚多元文化的格局，以及马来人的社会政治和经济焦虑，正是本土主义者、右翼分子以及像索莱哈这样的人在马来社群的某些群体中拥有如此影响力的原因。”

尽管占马来西亚 3400 万公民的 60% 以上，并享有宪法保护的地位，但持续的经济焦虑继续加剧该群体中一些人对被边缘化的恐惧，为历史修正主义创造了肥沃的土壤。

这股修正主义浪潮不仅限于社交媒体名人。马来西亚理科大学历史学家阿兹米·阿里芬等学者也对传统历史课程过度依赖英国殖民视角提出质疑，认为“封建”等词汇无法准确概括马来传统的治理模式。他指出，像彭亨州武士马特·基劳这样的反殖民人物被不公平地贴上了“叛乱分子”的标签。

否认伊斯兰教出现之前的历史

为了彰显历史优越性，一些边缘修正主义者常常试图抹杀马来西亚伊斯兰教传入之前的历史遗产。

索莱哈在九月份的一次演讲中，将马来西亚的印度教-佛教考古历史斥为西方殖民者捏造的“纯粹宣传”。她的视频将当地民间传说与宗教经文混杂在一起，声称先知亚伯拉罕是马来人，摩西曾到访吉打州的杰莱山。

文化历史学家埃丁·库认为，仅仅通过清教徒式的宗教视角来定义马来人的身份，会让本土主义者对该地区伊斯兰教传入之前的历史遗产感到不安。

“索莱哈是个幻想家，但人们却想让自己也这样认为，”邱说。“在他们看来，一切都必须追溯到他们那套清教徒式的伊斯兰教观念；否则，就是不合法的。”

Khoo指出，在历史上的马来社会高度国际化的情况下，追求单一文化的纯粹性是具有讽刺意味的，他引用了葡萄牙编年史家托梅·皮雷斯的记载，称16世纪的马六甲曾使用84种语言。

商业上对另类历史的需求

对修正主义叙事的需求也具有商业性。小说家兼社会学家费萨尔·穆萨指出，像“爱国者”（The Patriots）这样的另类历史出版社很受欢迎，其在线书店拥有超过52000名粉丝。

费萨尔表示：“简单的解释往往比复杂的解释更具吸引力和可信度，尤其是当它们看起来能够被检验或证伪时。”他还补充说，这种修正主义趋势是一种全球现象。

邱先生警告说，不受约束的伪历史会削弱公众的历史素养：“神话不仅在马来历史中，而且在亚洲历史中都扮演着重要的角色；然而，这甚至都不是神话——这是幻想。”

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