A group of student organisations and Pakatan Harapan backbenchers today urged the government to start engagement sessions on the University and Universities Colleges Act (UUCA).
This is after Higher Education Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin said the government currently has no plans to abolish the UUCA but would constantly engage stakeholders to improve the law.
In a press conference in Parliament this afternoon, Gopeng MP Tan Kar Hing called on the minister to set a clear timeline to clearly outline how the authority will handle matters related to UUCA.
"We cannot say there will be engagement and planning on this only. We must engage with stakeholders, including the undergraduates and academicians on campus.
"Therefore, it is very important to set a clear timeline on this matter," he said.
Calling himself a former "victim" of the UUCA during his university days, Tan stressed that the original intention of the law is to suppress and oppress the students and campus autonomy.
Thus, he said, the UUCA should be abolished and not just amended, to pave the way for a new more progressive law.
Abolishing the UUCA was one of Harapan's manifesto promises in the last election.
However, the current government is a coalition that includes BN - who have been proponents of the UUCA in the past.
The UUCA currently gives the minister in charge broad powers, including making important appointments like the vice-chancellor.
Critics argue that this law enables the appointment of vice-chancellors without regard to merit, thereby undermining the autonomy of universities.
Last month, Deputy Youth and Sports Minister Adam Adli Abdul Halim said he had scheduled a meeting with Khaled to discuss the UUCA.
However, this meeting does not appear to have taken place.
Stand in solidarity
Bandar Kuching MP Kelvin Yii said today that he has contacted Khaled's office to set up a meeting on this issue and that Adam Adli would also be joining the meeting - once it is confirmed.
"We are optimistic that the government will support the demand to empower the students.
"We also stand in solidarity with the students' demand and hope we can reform this law," he added.
Besides Tan and Yii, other Harapan MPs who have voice support to abolish the UUCA include Chow Yu Hui (DAP-Raub), Tan Hong Pin (DAP-Bakri), Young Syefura Othman (DAP-Bentong), Chow Choon Man (PKR-Miri), Taufiq Johari (PKR-Sungai Petani).
Earlier, University Malaya Student Union (UMSU) deputy secretary-general Dhurgesswaran Veeran represented 12 student groups to hand the Higher Education Ministry a memorandum demanding the UUCA’s abolishment.
Speaking to the press, Dhurgesswaran listed four demands including for the government to restore the UUCA technical committee as soon as possible, and for the minister’s power to appoint vice-chancellors and university board of directors to be replaced with a more transparent process.
He also called for greater freedom of expression and academic freedom, as well as for students to be powered with campus financial autonomy.
Meanwhile, Tanah Rata assemblyperson Ho Chi Yang said that Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, Science, Technology and Innovation Higher Education Minister Chang Lih Kang and Adam Adli were once student activists too.
"Now we are the government, but we cannot live up to the students' expectations of us.
"Justice must be returned to all students who have been suppressed by UUCA," he said. - Mkini
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