Student union: Some UUCA amendments may compromise autonomy

 

The International Islamic University Malaysia Student Union (IUMSU) has cautioned that the proposed amendments to the Universities and University Colleges Act 1971 will have a counter-productive effect of centralising authority within the university administration.

IUMSU said that it believed the reason for the amendments was to empower student bodies on a national scale.

“Our vision is to see student representative councils and student unions emerge as guiding beacons for effective student governance.

“As such, we disagree regarding several proposed amendments, particularly the potential bias in the composition of the student disciplinary committee and the provision granting the board discretionary powers over student council membership terms,” said IUMSU in a statement today.

Hence, it called for the inclusion of student representatives in the disciplinary process for a more balanced decision-making body and advocated for the removal of the discretionary clause in the student representative council membership terms.

On Nov 27, Higher Education Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin presented the first reading for the amendment in the Dewan Rakyat.

Higher Education Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin

He had earlier said the amendments would create more space for student activism, including autonomy to manage their own finances.

“As staunch advocates for unionism, we are committed to cultivating a conducive environment that empowers students to actively shape and take charge of their futures.

“These changes, in our view, will pose potential limitations on student autonomy and seem to centralise authority within the university administration,” said IUMSU.

It said that according to the amendment of Section 16(b) subsection 2A, "the student disciplinary committee shall have at least three members consisting of the deputy vice-chancellor as chairperson and university employees appointed by the board".

“However, this could lead to a potentially biased decision-making committee by not including the voices and concerns of the students.

“Hence, we would like to suggest that the student disciplinary committee include representatives from the student representative councils and student unions for a more balanced and fair decision making,” said IUMSU.

It also highlighted the amendment to add subsection 4A to Section 48 of the First Schedule which states:

"Notwithstanding subsection (4), the board may reduce or extend the term of membership of the student representative councils and its members".

“While some flexibility in governance structures can be beneficial, there are concerns as it may lead to granting the board unrestricted authority to adjust membership terms and may open the door to arbitrary decision-making.

“Without specific guidelines or criteria for such decisions, there is a risk that the board could make decisions based on personal preferences, political motivations or factors unrelated to the best interests of the student body.

Therefore, IUMSU suggested that the provision be removed from the amendment.

“We believe that the amendment in section 48(4), by substituting the word "one year" with the word "one academic year" is sufficient to allocate a fixed membership term for student representative councils and student unions,” added the group.

It said that it was imperative to respect the elected student council members’ mandate by allowing them to decide their own membership terms. - Mkini