Kuala Lampur, March 13 -- In universities, the pen is meant to be a tool for thinking, questioning, and writing critically. Yet in Malaysia, we are increasingly witnessing a worrying phenomenon in which academic writing, public analysis, and scholarly commentary to the media can bring a scholar to the police station. This situation raises a broader question, what is the real space for academic freedom in this country?

A recent case reported by the media revealed that an academic was called by the police to give a statement regarding views expressed in the South China Morning Post in 2024. Previously, several other scholars have gone through similar experiences, not because they committed crimes, but because they wrote, spoke to the media...