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Malaysia's Youth Council Demands Open Drafting of New University Law
🇲🇾 Malaysia /Culture & Society

Malaysia's Youth Council Demands Open Drafting of New University Law

From Utusan Malaysia · () Malay

Translated from Malay, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources New plan
  • Malaysia's Youth Council (MBM) calls for an open and inclusive process in drafting new legislation to replace the Universities and University Colleges Act 1971 (AUKU).
  • MBM emphasizes the need to reform higher education governance, institutional autonomy, academic freedom, and student rights.
  • The council stresses that the new law should empower universities and students, moving away from a control-oriented approach.

The Malaysian Youth Council (MBM) is urging for a transparent and comprehensive approach to drafting new legislation that will replace the Universities and University Colleges Act 1971 (AUKU). Ahmad Farhan Rosli, MBM Secretary-General, stated that the reform of higher education must involve all levels of the university community, including students.

MBM insists that simply replacing AUKU with a new act that retains the old spirit and approach would be insufficient.

— Ahmad Farhan RosliStating the need for genuine reform beyond a simple replacement of the old act.

MBM insists that simply replacing AUKU with a new act that retains the old spirit and approach would be insufficient. The reform needs to re-evaluate the framework of university governance, institutional autonomy, academic freedom, and the rights and roles of students. Farhan highlighted that the reform should represent a paradigm shift from control to empowerment, with university autonomy, academic freedom, responsible governance, and student voices at its core.

The reform needs to re-evaluate the framework of university governance, institutional autonomy, academic freedom, and the rights and roles of students.

— Ahmad Farhan RosliOutlining the key areas that require re-evaluation in the higher education reform.

"The drafting of the new law must be carried out openly and meaningfully, involving students, academics, university administrators, youth organizations, civil society, and legal experts," Ahmad Farhan said in a statement. He stressed that stakeholder engagement cannot be merely symbolic; their views must be given due consideration in policy and legislative formation.

The drafting of the new law must be carried out openly and meaningfully, involving students, academics, university administrators, youth organizations, civil society, and legal experts.

— Ahmad Farhan RosliEmphasizing the need for broad stakeholder involvement in the legislative process.

Furthermore, Farhan noted that the abolition of AUKU is not just a gift to students but a result of their courage to speak out and a long struggle across generations. "The success of this reform will not be measured by the abolition of an act, but by our courage to build universities that trust students, respect academic freedom, and grant autonomy with responsibility," he concluded.

The success of this reform will not be measured by the abolition of an act, but by our courage to build universities that trust students, respect academic freedom, and grant autonomy with responsibility.

— Ahmad Farhan RosliDefining the true measure of success for the higher education reform.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Utusan Malaysia in Malay. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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