Abolition of AUKU Must Be Followed by More Dynamic Higher Education Legal Framework – UTHM

KUALA LUMPUR: The proposal to abolish the Universities and University Colleges Act 1971 (AUKU) must be viewed comprehensively and followed by the formation of a more dynamic, modern and responsible higher education legal framework to meet the current needs of the country’s higher education sector.

Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM) Vice-Chancellor, Professor Mas Fawzi Mohd Ali said, AUKU is not merely about student affairs, but also serves as the legal framework governing the establishment, governance and administration of public universities, including the power structure of university authorities and institutional management.

He said, any changes to the act must be implemented in a planned manner to ensure that efforts to strengthen university and student autonomy do not compromise aspects of governance, accountability and institutional stability.

“The main issue is not just whether AUKU needs to be abolished, but what form of higher education legal framework is more suitable for current needs.

“The changing landscape of higher education, digital technology, information openness and student aspirations demand a more dynamic, responsive governance system based on trust and accountability,” he said in a media statement today.

Mas Fawzi said, student freedom is important in shaping critical thinking, leadership and intellectual maturity, therefore students need to be given space to speak up, present fact-based views and engage in social activities and national development.

However, he stressed that this freedom must be balanced with responsibility, trust and accountability.

“Students need to be brave in speaking up with knowledge, critical based on facts, but at the same time understand trust and accountability,” he said.

According to him, student autonomy is also an important part of meaningful learning because the campus serves as a training ground for leadership, conflict management and ethical decision-making.

He said, in that context, the abolition of AUKU has the potential to expand freedom of speech, strengthen campus democracy, encourage responsible activism and enhance student and institutional autonomy.

For universities, he said, a more modern legal framework can strengthen institutional autonomy, reduce bureaucracy and accelerate decision-making processes in academic, research, innovation and industry collaboration fields.

However, he stressed that any expanded autonomy must be accompanied by a strong system of checks and balances to ensure universities continue to function transparently, with integrity and accountability.

Yesterday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the government guarantees that AUKU will be fully abolished without the introduction of any new laws that are restrictive or suppress student movements.

AUKU had previously gone through seven series of amendments since it was introduced in 1971, including amendments in 2012 that allowed students to participate in political party activities outside campus.

The latest amendment in 2024 saw that disciplinary action against students at public universities is no longer subject to the Vice-Chancellor’s powers, but instead decided by the Student Disciplinary Committee through the amendment to Section 16B of AUKU.

Astro Awani