Auku repeal alone won’t guarantee youth votes for PH, say analysts

 They say scrapping the law could revive PH’s reform credentials, but that young voters care about more than campus freedoms.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim recently said that Auku would be repealed without the introduction of new laws.

PETALING JAYA:

While the move to repeal the Universities and University Colleges Act (Auku) could help Pakatan Harapan (PH) rebuild credibility among young voters, analysts have cautioned that it is unlikely to translate into a straightforward bloc of support at the ballot box.

Universiti Teknologi Malaysia’s Mazlan Ali and Universiti Malaya’s Tawfik Yaakub said varsity students had long campaigned for the law to be abolished, making its repeal a potentially significant political and reform move for the government.

Mazlan said no government had been willing to abolish the law since it was introduced in the 1970s.

“The unity government’s announcement is therefore a step towards ensuring that young people support PH, as they would view the abolition of Auku as a bold move,” he told FMT.

“Students might see this as sincere action from the PH government, and it will lead them to support it.”

Tawfik, meanwhile, said abolishing Auku could help PH restore some of its reform credibility among students and the youth, particularly those who value free speech, campus democracy and institutional reforms.

However, both he and Mazlan said the repeal alone would not be enough to secure widespread youth support for PH.

Tawfik said Auku’s abolition was only a “gateway” for PH to reconnect with young voters, not a solution to the coalition’s broader challenge of winning their support.

“Young people are a much larger group than university students. They also think about jobs, wages, house prices, the cost of living, education loans and opportunities for social mobility,” he said.

He said the results of the Johor election, which saw young Malay voters shifting towards Barisan Nasional, showed that the youth were not a fixed, homogeneous voting bloc.

Tawfik also said that many varsity student groups were demanding a clear timeline for Auku’s repeal, showing that they wanted not only announcements but also action.

“Therefore, the political benefits for PH will only manifest themselves if the repeal truly leads to more autonomous universities, broader academic freedom, freedom of association, and a space for students to voice their opinions without unreasonable restriction.

“I see the repeal of Auku as the key to unlocking a comprehensive reform process for young voters who will evaluate PH based on a larger package, namely democratic freedom, job opportunities, wages, cost of living, education and government integrity,” he said.

Enacted in 1971, Auku has long been at the centre of debates over students’ freedom to protest, organise and express views on political and public issues.

It was last amended in 2024 to grant student associations greater autonomy over fundraising and other activities. The higher education ministry previously said it had no plans to abolish the law in its entirety. - FMT