PETALING JAYA: Replacing the Universities and University Colleges Act 1971 (Auku) is only the first step towards greater university autonomy, academic freedom and student rights.
An academic and student leaders say the real test is how these principles are implemented on campus.
Former deputy vice-chancellor of Universiti Putra Malaysia Prof Dr Ismi Arif Ismail said the big challenge would be to translate these principles into enforceable legal protections and consistent institutional practices.
He said the transition should be carefully managed to avoid legal uncertainty or disruption to university operations.
“I would recommend that implementation include independent legal and policy review, broad consultation with university leaders, academics, students, professional bodies and other stakeholders, and a transparent mechanism for monitoring progress.”
Ismi Arif was commenting on Budget 2027 proposing a comprehensive higher education legal framework to replace the Auku covering university autonomy, academic freedom and students’ rights.
Universiti Malaya Association of New Youth president Lee Wen Qua also said the reform must address the entrenched bureaucratic mindsets within university administrations.
“The hardest part of this transition will not be passing the legal amendments, but forcing university management to actually relinquish their legacy powers, stop monitoring student behaviour, and embrace a culture of autonomy and trust,” said Lee.
He said universities should not act as a secondary justice system.
“If a student commits an offence that breaks civil law, it is a matter for the police. Universities should not impose parallel disciplinary actions (like suspension or expulsion) that subject students to being punished twice for a single incident,” Lee said.
Concerns have also been raised over whether the RM800mil allocated to improve university infrastructure, including lecture halls and student accommodation, and replace outdated equipment would be sufficient to address long-standing needs.
Lee and Universiti Teknologi Malaysia National Student Consultative Council (MPPK) president Muhammad Irfan Firdaus Md Fauzi said the allocation was insufficient when spread across the country’s 20 public universities, polytechnics and community colleges.
“Given decades of deferred maintenance and growing student enrolments, much of the allocation could be absorbed by urgent repairs, such as fixing faulty plumbing and unsafe wiring, and replacing deteriorating roofs, leaving less for broader campus modernisation,” Lee said.
To address the student housing shortage sustainably, Lee proposed incentivising private developers to build, manage and maintain purpose-built student accommodation on or near campuses through Build-Operate-Transfer models.
Muhammad Irfan Firdaus said that investment can no longer depend entirely on government grants.
“Higher education institutions must be willing to explore public-private partnership models and engage institutional investors, as seen in Retirement Fund Incorporated’s (KWAP) investment initiative through the Vista Kampus project and the construction of Universiti Malaya’s student residence.”
