Universities and University Colleges Act 1971 (Malaysia)

Universities and University Colleges Act 1971
Parliament of Malaysia
Long title An Act to provide for the establishment, maintenance and administration of Universities and University Colleges and for other matters connected with it.
Citation	Act 30
Territorial extent	Throughout Malaysia
Passed by	Dewan Rakyat
Passed	18 March 1971
Passed by	Dewan Negara
Passed	26 March 1971
Royal assent	27 April 1971
Commenced	29 April 1971
Effective	30 April 1971
Legislative history
First chamber: Dewan Rakyat
Bill title	Universities and University Colleges Bill 1971
Introduced by	Hussein Onn, Minister of Education
First reading	9 March 1971
Second reading	17 March 1971
Third reading	18 March 1971
Second chamber: Dewan Negara
Bill title	Universities and University Colleges Bill 1971
Member(s) in charge	Hussein Onn, Minister of Education
First reading	22 March 1971
Second reading	26 March 1971
Third reading	26 March 1971
Repeals
Emergency (Essential Powers) Ordinance No. 74, 1971
Amended by
Universities and University Colleges (Amendment) Act 1971 [Act A80] Universities and University Colleges (Amendment) Act 1975 [Act A295] Universities and University Colleges (Amendment) Act 1983 [Act A550] Universities and University Colleges (Amendment) Act 1996 [Act A946] Universities and University Colleges (Amendment) Act 2009 [Act A1342] Universities and University Colleges (Amendment) Act 2012 [Act A1433] Universities and University Colleges (Amendment) Act 2019 [Act A1582] Universities and University Colleges (Amendment) Act 2024 [Act A1713]
Keywords
University, university college
Status: In force

University and University College Act 1971 (Malay : Akta Universiti dan Kolej Universiti 1971) or AUKU is the main legislation that governs the establishment, organization and management of public universities and public university colleges in Malaysia. It was passed by the Malaysian parliament in 1971 and went into effect on 30 April the same year. The government body that is responsible for the implementation of this Act is the Ministry of Higher Education. ^[1]

Structure

The Universities and University Colleges Act 1971, in its current form (1 August 2012), consists of 5 Parts containing 27 sections and 2 schedules (including 6 amendments).

• Part I: Preliminary
• Part II: Higher Education
• Part IIA: Administration
• Part III: Universities
• Part IV: University Colleges
• Part IVA: Register and Database
• Part V: General
• Schedules

Controversy and Student repression

According to Abdullah Haji Abdul Karim, Director of the Central PAS Youth Department for Student Affairs, in a statement he made on the Harakah Daily website, although it was obvious that AUKU 1971 bill was passed to provide for the establishment, maintenance and administration of University and University Colleges and for other matters connected therewith, in the new sections that were entered into it after the 1975 amendment (argued for by then-Education Minister Mahathir Mohamad) through the A295 Amendment Act, among which are Sections 15A, 15B, 15C, 15D, 16A, 16B and 16C, clearly opposed the principles of justice within the law. The main goals ^[2] of the 1975 amendment blocks:

• the involvement of students in political parties and labour unions, and
• the union of student bodies

However, the 2012 and 2018 amendment abolished Section 15A, thus providing students' involvement in politics. Despite these amendments, several student activists demanded that the law to be abolished to re-establish democracy in campus.

References

1. UNIVERSITY ACT , Website for the Ministry if Higher Education. 12 Feb 2011.
2. "Keny. Rasmi JPMDPP: Isu Pemansuhan Akta Universiti Dan Kolej Universiti 1971 (AUKU), Harakah Daily. 12 February 2006.

External links

• "Universities and University Colleges Act 1971" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 February 2017. As at 1 August 2012 This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .