Govt to repeal Auku, says Anwar

Anwar Ibrahim announced that the University and College Act 1971 (Auku) will be repealed due to certain issues remaining unresolved despite multiple amendments. The student body of the Secretariat for Repealing Auku launched a nationwide campaign urging for the Act's repeal last April. While some reforms in education have been made, students feel they need more freedom.

They presented a memorandum expressing their discontent. Therefore, I will now publicly announce that we will repeal the University and College Act, said the PKR president at the start of his address at the 2026 National PKR Congress in the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre. Auku has undergone seven amendments since its introduction in 1971.

The first amendment was made in 1971, followed by changes in 1975, 1983, 1996, and 2009. The 2012 amendment allowed students to participate in political party activities outside campus, while the latest amendment in 2024 stated that disciplinary actions against public university students are no longer under the deputy chancellor's authority, instead decided by the Student Discipline Committee.

The amendment to Section 15A of Auku also allowed student councils and student bodies to raise funds and receive contributions in any manner, subject to the rules and written laws in force. Anwar stated that several reforms in education had already been implemented, including better integration of primary school admission, technical and vocational education and training (TVET) education, and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects.

We do not want primary school to be only for the elite in urban areas and the second class for children in rural and village areas. Therefore, this has become the responsibility of the Ministry of Education.