The abolition of the main piece of legislation governing public universities in Malaysia could lead to more academic freedom and institutional autonomy – but there is a lack of clarity on what comes next, with some fearing “one restrictive law could be replaced by another”.
Last month Malaysian prime minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced that he would repeal the Universities and University College Act 1971 (AUKU), the legal framework governing the administration and management of the country’s public university sector, and replace it with a new law.
AUKU was enacted in the aftermath of the 1969 race riots that erupted between Chinese and Malay communities, and has been contentious ever since.
The act became closely associated with restrictions on student political participation and freedom of expression because it granted university councils the power to suspend or dissolve student organisations.
Students have long been calling for AUKU to be reformed, and it has already been amended eight times to address concerns, notably in 2012 when students were allowed to join political parties and in 2024 when student bodies were granted more autonomy on fundraising.
