'He can say what he wants' - Khaled on DAP rep's UUCA forum criticism

Higher Education Mohamed Khaled Nordin has defended the recent dialogue with university students that featured himself after several parties accused the event of being a “brainwashing session”.

Tanah Rata assemblyperson Ho Chi Yang had previously claimed that the dialogue event was a “brainwashing session” for students on the issue of repealing the University and University College Act (UUCA) 1971.

Khaled (above) said Ho is free to give his views even though they are not necessarily shared by others.

“He can say anything. Many who attended (the event) do not have the same opinion as the assemblyperson,” he said to Malaysiakini when asked to comment on the matter.

Yesterday, Ho said the dialogue session that lasted for two hours was alleged to have sidestepped questions related to the abolition of UUCA that were raised by students.

Ho, who is also the DAP Youth student affairs bureau chief, claimed the session held in Putrajaya was just a platform for officials to showcase the achievements of the ministry.

“The Higher Education Ministry clearly has no intention of listening to the students’ demands to abolish UUCA.

“They dodged many pointed questions from students and refused to address demands to repeal the oppressive law.

“As a result, many students are not satisfied and are disappointed,” he said.

Based on Malaysiakini’s observations while covering the dialogue session, although Khaled was present throughout the dialogue session, he did not answer most of the questions asked.

Instead, it was the Higher Education Ministry director-general Husaini Omar who answered the questions directed by the students.

The audience then voiced their dissatisfaction with the response related to UUCA, with many of the students leaving the two-hour session disappointed and claiming that the ministry’s response did not actually answer their questions.

Some of them viewed the session as a way to garner support from universities to maintain UUCA because there was no satisfactory response to the act.

However, in a press conference later that day, Khaled said amendments to UUCA may be tabled in the Dewan Rakyat this year, with the draft bill being expected to be sent to the Attorney-General’s Chambers for approval in mid-June.

For the record, abolishing UUCA was one of Pakatan Harapan’s manifesto promises in the previous general election. However, the current government is in a coalition with BN, which has previously expressed support for UUCA.

Khaled had also been reported saying the government has no plans to abolish UUCA for now. - Mkini