On March 7, fourteen student groups such as UM Student Union and UMANY, National DAP Socialist Youth, and several Harapan MPs held a joint press conference in the parliament to urge the government to relaunch the plan to abolish the Universities and University Colleges Act (UUCA).
During the press conference, I call on the government and the Ministry of Higher Education to listen and respect students’ demand to immediately relaunch the plan to abolish the UUCA in order to revive “campus democracy” and “student autonomy”.
Ever since the UUCA was implemented in 1971, the then government used it to oppress countless students who spoke up against injustice and corrupt practices. Hence, not only that abolishing the UUCA gives the UUCA victims justice that is long overdue, but even academicians can also finally enjoy institutionalized freedom of expression, whereby they can think, speak, and conduct research freely and critically.
Many current executive members of the government, including Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation Chang Lih Kang, and Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports Adam Adli, used to be student activists and surely understand the severe damages that the UUCA had brought about to the higher education development. As such, there should be no excuses for the government not to support the same cause that students of the new generation are fighting for.
Apart from protecting student autonomy, another important reason that the UUCA must be abolished is to push forward “campus democracy” and guarantee academic freedom. However, the current law grants absolute power to the minister to appoint vice-chancellors, which will in turn pressure the vice-chancellors and the top management to be submissive to the minister. With the current structure, there are no ways to guarantee academic freedom, which is supposed to be the key spirit of any university.
Nonetheless, I believe that the presence of several Harapan MPs in support of students’ demands has encouraged student activists and many more students to continue advocating for abolishing the draconian law.
Student and youth organizations present at the press conference included:
- University of Malaya Student Union (KMUM)
- International Islamic University Malaysia Student Union (IIUMSU)
- University of Malaya New Youth (UMANY)
- University of Malaya Student Front (SUARASISWA UM)
- Sultan Zainal Abidin University Democratic Front (Demokrat Unisza)
- University of Northern Malaysia Progressive Front (SPFUUM)
- University of Northern Malaysia Student Front (SUARASISWA UUM)
- Voice of Youtharian
- UTAR Student Representative Council (UTAR SRC)
- Tunku Abdul Rahman University College Youth Vanguard (TARANY)
- University of Malaya Democratic Front (Demokrat UM)
- Democratic Action Party Socialist Youth (DAP Socialist Youth)
- Socialist Youth Front (Pemuda Socialist)
- Malaysian New Student Movement Alliance (NESA)