No, Malays Could Not Fly!

 

Historians and academics have poured cold water on recent claims that ancient Malays could fly and even taught the Chinese the art of “flying kung fu”. Such statements are illogical and damaging to historical understanding. History must be grounded on verifiable evidence, not myths or fantastical tales. 

Professor Solehah Yaacob, a lecturer in Arabic language and literature at the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), claimed in a Gabungan Nasionalis podcast that ancient Malays possessed supernatural abilities, including flight, and shared these skills with the Chinese.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org

Myths or legends exist in many societies as a form of entertainment or inspiration. But history is about real events that truly happened — events that can be proven and whose authenticity can be defended. Unchecked spread of myths could weaken society. 

Pseudohistory is false history built on fabricated stories and imagination, compiled from unreliable materials and conclusions drawn carelessly without the necessary skills to sort and evaluate information. We risk being humiliated by the academic community when such claims are debunked — as happened when a UPM paper on the ‘jong’ (large merchant ships) was criticised by French historian Serge Jardin. 

Malays had ties with ancient China, particularly during the Tang Dynasty from 618 to 907 AD, through trade and shipbuilding. But the so-called ‘ability to fly’ refers to the Malays’ distinctive flying kick in pencak silat, which some fighters demonstrated in imperial courts. It does not mean they were literally able to fly. And if they could, we don’t need fighter jets, we have our own flying airmen from the 7^th century! 

Reference:

No, Malays could not fly: Scholars call out pseudohistory, Sandru Narayanan, Scoop, 1 October 2025