Sedia garis masa jelas mansuh Auku, kerajaan diberitahu

This morning, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim stated that although certain amendments have been made to the Universities and University Colleges Act 1971 (Auku), students remain unsatisfied with several provisions. The Students' Union of University Malaya (Umany) and NGO Mandiri have urged the government to provide a clear timeline for the repeal of Auku.

Both entities demand that the Ministry of Higher Education announce a timeline, including for consultations, drafting legislation, and presenting it in Parliament. Hamdin Nordin of Mandiri remarked that their commitment should not merely be another reform promise, but rather a fully implemented process. Umany called on all higher education institutions to review and immediately withdraw all disciplinary actions taken against students for expressing their views, participating in peaceful gatherings, organizing activities, and exercising their rights.

With the government acknowledging the need to repeal Auku's framework, university management should not continue catering to students through lax control culture, said Umany in a statement. Earlier, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim noted that despite some amendments to Auku, students have not been satisfied with certain provisions. Thus, the government has decided to repeal the relevant act.

Ooi Tze Howe from foundation think tank Heya Inc suggested that introducing a replacement act for Auku could be a lengthy process. He proposed that the government prioritize feasible foundational steps that can be taken within the remaining year of the current administration, while the act in question is dealt with in the restructuring process.

This could include diversifying and sharing the power of appointing university governing body members, instead of outright surrendering it to the minister. University senates and alumni associations should each nominate their representatives to serve in the governing body, rather than continuing to be elected directly by the minister, he added to FMT.

Ooi also called for full selection of faculty deans by academic staff, as this practice is currently only performed sporadically or voluntarily in higher education institutions. Additionally, he urged strict financial disclosure by public universities, using standards from listed companies to ensure accountability and transparency.

The writer believes these measures are far more important than merely repealing Auku alone, this is a simple step we need to take promptly, said Ooi.