UM Theatre Incident: MOHE Urges IPTs To Step Up Guidance, Monitoring

KUALA LUMPUR, 20 April (Bernama) -- The Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) has urged institutions of higher learning (IPTs) to strengthen guidance and monitoring of student activities to ensure that creative expression remains within the limits of public sensitivity.

Higher Education director-general Datuk Prof. Dr. Azlinda Azman said the recent controversial theatre performance at Universiti Malaya (UM) should serve as a lesson, particularly in ensuring that student works remain grounded in local cultural values and norms.

She said the incident was regarded as an oversight by students who were eager to showcase their artistic talent, leading to public sensitivity being overlooked, but without any ill intent.

“For me, whatever is done, universities must always be sensitive, as we see that young people’s work is sometimes driven by enthusiasm and not by any (ill) intentions.

“Therefore, IPTs must play a guiding and advisory role to ensure that students’ creativity does not go beyond the limits of sensitivity while continuing to preserve eastern culture,” she said after visiting the Astaka KPT at the Defence Services Asia (DSA) and National Security Exhibition (NATSEC) Asia 2026 here today.

Azlinda said MOHE had received an official report on the incident and would leave it to the university to take appropriate follow-up action.

UM on Thursday issued an apology over an incident at the Karnival Teater (KARVITER) UM, admitting that some scenes performed were not in line with the original script that had undergone the screening process, and that it violated the competition’s established conditions as they contained elements that could affect religious, moral and cultural values.

The issue came to public attention on April 16 after a clip of the scene went viral on social media, drawing criticism from various quarters.

--BERNAMA