Agenda reformasi kerajaan bergantung pada PM, kata Rafizi

Former Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli stated that the Prime Minister determines the agenda for government reform at the Cabinet level. In a recent episode of his YouTube interview show, Rafizi, a former Bersatu leader, explained that Umno is unlikely to be the primary driver of reform after being part of the political system for decades.

He emphasized that the government's reform agenda must be led by the PH, through the Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. Rafizi mentioned that reform proposals could come from the Prime Minister or individual ministries, but ultimately, it is the Prime Minister's decision on whether those proposals will be brought to the Cabinet. The Prime Minister's recent announcement regarding the cancellation of the Universities and Colleges Act (Auku) serves as an example of the Prime Minister's role in shaping the government's reform agenda.

However, Rafizi cautioned that the key test is whether the cancellation of Auku will be followed by further changes in the higher education sector. He praised the RMK13 plan for including provisions for granting autonomy to a public university as a pioneering project, which he believes will be supported by him. Rafizi hopes that the cancellation of Auku will pave the way for such reforms, including academic freedom and funding for universities.

Introduced in 1971, Auku has been a subject of debate over its impact on student freedom to assemble, organize, and express political views and public interest. The Act was last amended in 2024 to grant student unions more autonomy in fundraising activities and other events. The Ministry of Higher Education previously stated that there were no plans to fully repeal Auku, but now revealed that a free advisory panel would be formed to investigate all aspects of the new legislation replacement for Auku.