Students allowed to join political parties

Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak says the undergraduates are mature enough as they had reached the legal age.

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KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Najib Razak today annouced that Section 15 of the Universities and University Colleges Act (UUCA) will be amended to allow undergraduates to be members of political parties.

Najib said this in the Dewan Rakyat today while tabling a motion to lift the emergency proclamations.

He said that the undergraduates were mature enough as they had reached a legal age.

“The government believes in the maturity and intelligence of the undergraduates. In order to respect the constitutional right of the undergrads who have reached the legal age, or age of majority, the government will amend Section 15 of UUCA to allow them to become members of political parties.”

“But we will be strict in not allowing politics to enter the campuses,” he said.

This effectively allows undergraduates above the age of 21 to participate in political activities, barring that activities are not held on university grounds.

Najib, the Pekan MP, however, said that the government will appeal against the Court of Appeal’s decision’s on Oct 31, which ruled that the UUCA was unconstitutional as it violates freedom of expression as enshrined in Article 10 of the Federal Constitution.

“The government will file an appeal as the decision has far-reaching implications on the principles of law in the country,” he said.

In April 2010, four Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) students were caught campaigning during the Hulu Selangor by-election, which was in breach of the UUCA.

The four then challenged UKM in the High Court for allegedly violating their freedom of expression, which is guaranteed under the Federal Constitution.

However, the High Court dismissed their case, prompting them to appeal against the decision.

Many student activists have claimed that the UUCA restricts them as adults of legal age to their right to participate actively in politics, if they wish to do so.

Najib’s said that his announcement was in line with spirit of the Government Transformation Program (GTP), which provides for a more open society.

Bigger and more comprehensive

Meanwhile, Deputy Higher Education Minister Saifuddin Abdullah said that his ministry and Attorney-General’s Chambers (A-G) will now meet to discuss amendment to Section 15.

He said that in addition to the changes made to the UUCA in 2009 (which critics claimed are cosmetic), the latest amendment was “bigger and more comprehensive”.

“I am sure the undergraduates will be very happy and welcome this announcement,” he said.

He said that for now only Section 15 will be looked into as it was one of the biggest sections which links students and politics.

When asked to comment on the government’s decision to appeal the Court of Appeal’s ruling, Saifuddin said that the government was appealing on a technical basis.

“It is too technical for me to explain. We haven’t seen their appeal anyway (so I can’t comment) but we are very clear that it is from a point of view of law… it would be best for the A-G to explain the matter,” he said.

Saifuddin said that there was no contradiction between Najib’s announcement and the decision to appeal the decision. He, however, did not elaborate.