University students’ groups renew calls for abolishment of UCCA

A coalition of university students’ groups has renewed calls for the abolishment of the Universities and University Colleges Act 1971 (UUCA).

Universiti Malaya Association of New Youth (Umany) and other student movement organisations submitted a memorandum to the Higher Education Ministry today, listing the abolishment of UUCA as one of its three demands.

The other two demands were the complete retraction of the University Concert Guidelines and the increment of budget allocated to each university.

In a joint statement today, Umany president Ten Kang Yeaw slammed the proposed amendments to the act, saying it was purely cosmetic.

“It does not bring any actual changes or return any rights to the students. Actual reformation can and should only be done through a complete abolishment of the UUCA,” Ten said.

On Nov 27, former higher education minister Mohamed Khalid Nordin presented the first reading for the amendment in the Dewan Rakyat.

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

However, IIUM Students’ Union deputy president Yuveraaj Pillai stressed that the proposed amendments to the act will fall short of restoring financial autonomy to the students.

“It will also give further powers to the university board of directors to determine the timeline of the (SRC) Student Representative Council.”

Meanwhile, Umany vice-president Lai Yue Yi asserted that the UUCA abolishment technical committee should be revived and the Higher Education Bill to be reintroduced.

“This is to ensure academic freedom, remove political appointees and return the rights of the students to the students,” Lai said.

Conservative policy

On the controversial University Concert Guidelines, Suara Siswa Universiti Malaya vice-president Abqari Annuar panned it, bemoaning that it’s a conservative policy and aims to limit the rights and freedom of the students.

“Such guidelines must be retracted with immediate effect, and should not be introduced even as a reference to the respective universities,” Abqari said in the joint statement.

Ten also stressed that Umany was mulling to organise a concert to determine the presence and the extent of the applicability of such guidelines if the guidelines were not retracted.

Among the proposed guidelines include gender segregation.

Concert participants must also adhere to a "modest" dress code, which prohibits symbols of "Illuminati", "LGBT", "pornography" and the "punk" hairstyle.

The guidelines also reportedly called for performers not to cross-dress and stated that male performers are prohibited from wearing earrings, bracelets, and shorts.

Previously, Khaled said he had not yet approved the proposal, saying the guidelines were merely recommendations and “reference” materials.

He also said the document is a draft and he has not approved it. - Mkini