Kuala Lampur, March 18 -- In an era where information travels faster than verification, the figure of the "expert" has become both ubiquitous and dangerously unstable.

Expertise, once built through rigorous study, peer scrutiny, ethical fieldwork, and institutional accountability - is increasingly mimicked by individuals who lack the credentials and intellectual discipline that genuine expertise requires.

These "fake experts" now shape public discourse on issues ranging from public health to national security, with consequences that are not merely academic, but social, political, and potentially dangerous.

This problem is driven by the erosion of traditional gatekeeping.

Institutions such as universities, professional bodies, and peer...