20/08/2026

THURSDAY | AUG 20, 2026

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A new chapter beyond Auku LETTERS letters@thesundaily.com

W E, former members of Jawatankuasa Teknikal Mansuh Auku, under the Education Ministry (2018-2019), note with cautious optimism the recent announcement regarding the abolition of the Universities and University Colleges Act 1971 (UUCA/Auku). While we have yet to see the replacement Bill, this long-overdue milestone must be credited to the relentless struggles of the student activists and academic groups who have fought tirelessly for its repeal. However, the proposal of a new higher education Bill, mooted by the Higher Education minister immediately following the prime minister’s announcement, warrants heavy scrutiny. We urge the government to engage in extensive consultations with all stakeholders, particularly students and academics, and to adopt a strictly rights-based approach to drafting the new legislation. The ensuing law cannot and must not simply be a rebranded “Auku 2.0”. For decades, Auku has stifled the Malaysian higher education ecosystem. The old legislation was inherently restrictive, heavily curtailing students’ rights to participate in political and civil movements, their freedom of association and their autonomy to manage campus affairs. Furthermore, Auku facilitated systemic political interference by granting the minister the sole authority to appoint university top management and board members. It actively suppressed academic freedom by subjecting academics to the Statutory Bodies (Discipline and Surcharge) Act 2000 (Act 605), which essentially forbids public criticism of government policies. Ultimately, this cultivated a bureaucratic system and a culture of patronage, diverting universities from their fundamental purpose of seeking truth and advancing the social good. The repeal of Auku is merely the

beginning; our ultimate goal is a comprehensive reform of the entire higher education system. To achieve this, the new legislative framework must aggressively address the following areas: 0 Harmonisation of university laws: We must harmonise all related higher education legislations into a single Higher Education Institutions Act. Currently, overlapping and contradictory legislations complicate enforcement and significantly increase compliance costs. A consolidated legal framework is essential to ensure consistency, enhance accountability and protect the interests of all key stakeholders within the ecosystem. Crucially, the new Act must be fundamentally protective in nature, in contrast to the restrictive legacy of the current Auku. It must serve as a bedrock that actively enables and explicitly codifies protections for university autonomy, academic freedom, student autonomy and institutional funding directly within the new Act. 0 Academic freedom: Academic freedom is not merely about the pursuit of knowledge; it encompasses the fundamental right of academics and students to question received wisdom, state controversial opinions and speak truth to power without fear of reprisal or censorship. Academics must be empowered to serve the university community and Malaysian society, rather than their political masters. To restore the dignity of the academic profession, public university academics must be expressly exempted from the restrictive and punitive provisions of Act 605. 0 Student autonomy: True student autonomy extends far beyond the freedom of expression and political association. We demand the establishment of democratically elected Student Unions empowered to govern all matters related to student affairs and activities. The existing Student Affairs

A consolidated legal framework is essential to ensure consistency, enhance accountability and protect the interests of all key stakeholders within the ecosystem. – BERNAMAPIC

financing: Public universities exist for the public good and their grants are sourced directly from taxpayers. We must unequivocally debunk the rhetoric that institutional autonomy equates to universities being forced to secure their own funding. Autonomy dictates that the government must provide sufficient public funding without interfering in internal university affairs. Formula-based per-student funding should be implemented as a transparent, fee-for-service payment from the government to the universities. Drastic funding cuts have severely impacted public universities globally in recent years. In reaction to these financial squeezes, universities have increasingly resorted to alternative, privatised admission systems that prioritise students capable of paying higher tuition fees, effectively diverting the university from its public interest mandate. 0 System governance and accountability: To dismantle the

agency, local authority, road operator, employer and road user understands its responsibility in achieving it. Six thousand road deaths a year is not just a statistic. Behind every number is a human life, a family and a community affected by tragedy. Halving road deaths by 2030 will require political commitment, effective enforcement, safer infrastructure, technology, education and, above all, a change in road-user culture. Malaysia must move from a reactive approach – responding after crashes occur – to a preventive road safety culture that anticipates risks and prevents deaths before they happen. The target of 50% fewer road deaths by 2030 is achievable but only if we treat road safety as a national priority and pursue it with determination, accountability and sustained action. Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye Member of Road Safety Council entrenched culture of patronage, we must institute robust accountability mechanisms. Crucially, this requires the establishment of an independent Ombudsman. This body would act as a neutral arbiter to resolve disputes, investigate maladministration and address grievances, operating completely independently of the universities and the ministry. The repeal of Auku is our starting point but reforming the entire higher education system remains our ultimate objective. We stand ready to serve, advise and help establish a progressive higher education framework that robustly protects academic freedom and university autonomy. Co-signed by Dr Azmi Sharom, Dr Mohd Faisal Syam Abdol Hazis, Dr Teh Yik Koon, Prof Wan Manan Wan Muda, Adjunct Prof Zaharom Nain, Rosli H. Mahat, Asheeq Ali Sethi Alivi, Nik Azura Nik Nasron, Nurhuda Ramli and Wong Yan Ke

Department must either be abolished or fundamentally restructured so that its staff are hired by and held directly accountable to the Student Union, rather than the ministry or university administrators. 0 University autonomy and self governance: Institutional autonomy must serve as the core principle and the umbrella under which academic freedom and student autonomy are realised. A university must be run by its community, not by the state or the political party in power. The absolute power of the minister to appoint vice-chancellors, university management and board of directors must be completely removed. It must be replaced by a democratic election and selection process determined by the university’s own empowered governing body and its community. Public universities must be established as autonomous bodies that are entirely separate and apart from the government. 0 Institutional funding and

Make halving road deaths by 2030 a national mission THE government’s decision, through the Cabinet Committee on road safety and traffic congestion, to target a 50% reduction in road accident fatalities by 2030 is a welcome and necessary step. With more than 6,000 lives lost on our roads last year, road deaths remain a serious national public health and safety issue. Even more worrying is that motorcyclists and pillion riders accounted for about 66% of total road fatalities. enforcement against dangerous riding and greater emphasis on defensive riding and protective equipment. Second, enforcement must become more consistent, targeted and technology-driven. Dangerous driving, speeding, red-light offences, driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs and reckless manoeuvres must be dealt with firmly. Automated enforcement and other technologies should be expanded, particularly at accident-prone locations. schools and continue through driving schools, workplaces and community programmes. We need to build a culture where respecting traffic rules is regarded not merely as an obligation but also as a civic responsibility. survival following a serious crash can depend on what happens in the first few minutes. Faster emergency response, greater public awareness of first aid and CPR and wider availability of AEDs can help save lives. Most importantly, the government should establish clear annual milestones towards the 2030 target. We should not wait until 2030 to determine whether we have succeeded.

Fifth, commercial and heavy vehicle safety requires particular attention. These vehicles can cause catastrophic consequences when involved in crashes. Enforcement of speed limits, vehicle roadworthiness, driver working hours and other safety requirements must be strengthened. Sixth, employers must play a greater role in commuting and occupational road safety. A large number of road crashes occur while people are travelling to and from work. Commuting safety should, therefore, be treated as an important component of occupational safety and health, with employers encouraged to implement safe commuting policies for their workers. Seventh, post-crash response must be strengthened. The chances of

The public should be able to see annually whether fatalities are declining, which groups remain most vulnerable, where the high-risk locations are and what corrective measures have been taken. I also believe that road safety performance should be measured not only by the number of deaths but also by serious injuries, crashes involving vulnerable road users and the effectiveness of enforcement and preventive measures. The government has now set an important national target. The next step is to ensure that every ministry,

Therefore, the 2030 target must not remain merely an aspiration. It must be translated into a comprehensive, measurable and sustained national road safety programme. In my view, there are several priorities that must be pursued urgently. First, motorcyclist safety must be placed at the centre of the strategy. Motorcyclists constitute the largest group of road fatalities and, therefore, deserve a dedicated national action plan. This should include safer motorcycle lanes, better road surfaces, improved lighting, stronger

Third, we must adopt a safe system approach to road safety. We cannot depend entirely on road users to avoid mistakes. Roads, vehicles, speed limits and traffic systems must be designed to reduce the severity of crashes when mistakes occur. High risk roads and black spots should be identified through data and systematically upgraded. Fourth, road safety must begin with education and continue throughout a person’s driving life. Road safety education should start in