PH Youth committed to
pushing for Auku to be
abolished
Getting the Universities and University Colleges Act 1971 abolished was part of PH’s manifesto in the 14th and 15th general elections.
The wing’s information chief Ammar Atan said the committee would be drafting a plan for Auku to be abolished as part of its reform agenda for the higher education system.
While the Act was originally formulated to provide a centralised framework for the expansion of higher education in the country, its restrictions on university autonomy and students’ freedom of expression have made it the subject of contentious debate.
“PH Youth believes that abolishing Auku is an important step in elevating the dignity of students and providing them with greater academic and political freedom,” said Ammar in a statement.
Abolishing the Act was part of PH’s manifesto in the 14th and 15th general elections.
Last March, higher education minister Zambry Abd Kadir told the Dewan Rakyat that improving sections of Auku was more realistic than abolishing the Act.
He explained that abolishing Auku would result in the creation of new constitutions in each public university, which would take time and disrupt operations.
On the same day, the Dewan Rakyat passed a bill to amend the Act to grant students greater autonomy in managing their association’s activities and finances.
Auku was last amended in 2018, removing Section 15(2)(c) which banned students from taking part in activities organised by political parties within university and college grounds, thereby allowing student involvement in politics.
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