A Higher Education Ministry town hall featuring minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin on Thursday has been deemed to be a “brainwash session” after the ministry sidestepped questions regarding the much-criticised Universities and University Colleges Act (UUCA).
Tanah Rata assemblyperson Ho Chi Yang expressed disappointment over the two-hour-long session, claiming Khaled (above, right) and the university management involved had imposed and indoctrinated their views on students and other attendees.
In a statement today, Ho said the session held at the Higher Education Ministry in Putrajaya was merely a platform for the officials to blow their own trumpets about the ministry’s key performance indicators achievements.
“The Higher Education Ministry obviously had no intention of listening to students' demands to abolish UUCA.
“They avoided many sharp questions from students and refused to address demands to abolish the draconian law.
“As a result, many students were left dissatisfied and disappointed,” said Ho, who also leads DAP Youth’s varsity affairs bureau.
While Khaled was present throughout the town hall, observations by Malaysiakini revealed that the minister did not answer the majority of the questions asked.
Questions were instead answered by Higher Education Ministry director-general Husaini Omar.
In a press conference later that day, Khaled said the amendments would likely be tabled in the Dewan Rakyat this year, with its draft bill first to be sent to the Attorney-General’s Chambers for approval in mid-June.
'Heed students' demands, abolish UUCA'
Citing Anwar Ibrahim’s dialogue session with students at Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM), Shah Alam on Friday, Ho said it was disenchanting for the prime minister to support the retainment of such draconian laws.
“Particularly because he was one of the former student activists targeted by the authoritarian regime in the 1970s.
“Anwar should be open-minded and listen to the voices of students and scholars before making an important decision regarding the draconian law,” he asserted.
Therefore, he called on the government to heed students’ demands to abolish the UUCA as it is a crucial step towards safeguarding academic freedom.
“For instance, the UUCA now grants power to the government and the higher education minister to appoint vice-chancellors, thus political interference in universities is hardly avoidable.
“As such, the UUCA has to be abolished in order to usher in a democratic and transparent system in choosing top posts of universities,” he said, adding that it would promote better governance in universities, instead of the appointment of political lackeys as stakeholders.
The UUCA was introduced in 1971 by then-education minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad and was widely panned as an attempt to quell student movements.
The act has since undergone seven amendments.
The latest amendment in 2018 - ironically under another Mahathir government - provided more freedom to students to participate in politics, both on and off campus.
Abolishing the UUCA was one of Pakatan Harapan’s manifesto promises in the last general election.
However, the current government is a coalition that includes BN – which has been the proponent of the UUCA in the past.
Khaled, who is from BN, had previously said the government had no plans to abolish it. - Mkini
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