Anwar pledges full repeal of UUCA this year to end ‘culture of fear’ in universities

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 20 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced today that the Bill to fully repeal the Universities and University Colleges Act 1971 (UUCA) will be presented this year. Anwar emphasized that this action is a crucial element of the government's strategy to eliminate a "culture of fear" that has been affecting higher education institutions.

This move aims to provide students and academics with the confidence to engage in meaningful and critical discourse. "Students fear their lecturers, lecturers fear deans, deans fear rectors, rectors fear ministers, ministers fear the prime minister, and the prime minister fears students," Anwar remarked during a dialogue with students following the inauguration of the Himpunan Anak Muda Kebangsaan (HAMKA) Antarabangsa 2026.