PETALING JAYA: The Cabinet has agreed to a two-stage reform of the Universities and University Colleges Act 1971 (AUKU), beginning with amendments to the existing law before its eventual replacement with a new legislation, says Datuk Seri Fahmi Fadzil (pic).
The Communications Minister said the Higher Education Minister would table the proposed amendments in Parliament in December, particularly those involving provisions on students’ freedom of expression and association.
He said the second phase would involve drafting an entirely new law to replace AUKU, with the process expected to take place next year.
The new legislation would cover areas including university registration, supervision and management, which required further study by the Higher Education Ministry.
Fahmi said the Cabinet had agreed to both proposals, adding that the immediate amendments were intended to address provisions affecting student freedoms while work on the replacement legislation continued.
AUKU, enacted in 1971, provides the legal framework for the establishment, administration and governance of public universities and university colleges.
Provisions under the Act relating to student activities and political participation have been the subject of debate over the years.
On the Official Secrets Act 1972 (OSA), Fahmi said the government was considering a general policy to declassify historical documents currently classified under the law, with less sensitive records potentially being prioritised for public access.
He noted that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had agreed with views raised by historians during a meeting of the National Historians Council earlier this week.
Fahmi said the proposal would be examined further, including by the Attorney General’s Chambers, to assess its legal implications and facilitate access to historical records.
“The Prime Minister’s instruction is that this should be implemented as soon as possible, but carefully,” he said at the post-Cabinet press conference yesterday.
Fahmi said the government would also consult the police and the Home Ministry on the matter, adding that documents considered less sensitive could be identified for an initial phase of declassification.
On e-commerce, Fahmi said Anwar had directed the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) to address complaints involving online platforms.
These included high commission fees charged to sellers, consumers receiving products that differed from their orders, as well as fraud and scams.
He said MCMC had met major e-commerce operators, while a further engagement involving enforcement agencies would be held in the coming weeks to coordinate follow-up action.
