PETALING JAYA: Any new higher education framework introduced after repealing the Universities and University Colleges Act 1971 (Auku) must be built around academic freedom and students’ fundamental rights, says the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam).
While Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim had said that Auku would be repealed without the introduction of new laws, Suhakam said any future higher education framework should nevertheless be grounded in human rights principles.
It said the framework must be developed through meaningful consultation with students, academics, university leadership, civil society and other relevant stakeholders.
“It should also extend beyond student political participation by safeguarding the ability of academics and researchers to teach, research, publish, exchange ideas and participate in public discourse without undue interference or fear of retaliation, while protecting students’ rights to express their views, associate and assemble peacefully, subject only to restrictions that are lawful, necessary and proportionate,” it said in a statement today.
Suhakam said clear transitional arrangements should also be put in place to ensure continuity in university administration without reproducing provisions that unnecessarily restrict fundamental freedoms.
It said the abolition of Auku should bring substantive change to the country’s higher education landscape.
“Ultimately, universities should be places where ideas can be freely challenged and debated, and where students are empowered to think critically and contribute meaningfully to society,” it said.
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.
