YOURSAY 'He wants university students to take part in politics so why is he is appealing the court's decision on the UUCA?'

PM: Gov't to appeal UUCA court ruling

Anak Bangsa Malaysia: PM Najib Razak says he is going to appeal the court decision on the Universities and University Colleges Act (UUCA). This clearly shows he is against the court's decision.

He wants to make Malaysia the most democratic country in the world, but he cheated the entire nation with his Peaceful Assembly Bill. He wants university students to take part in politics, but he is appealing the court's decision. The PM is always contradicting himself.

All these are clear signs that the current bunch of leaders say something and do something else, and are not sincere at all.

Umno has not changed and will not change. To all those who think that Umno will change, I feel sorry for you.

Lim Chong Leong: The fact that Najib wants to appeal the Court of Appeal's decision shows that his repeal of section 15 of UUCA is not going to add anything significant towards liberalisation, but most likely only to circumvent any hiccups arising from the court's decision.

This and the fact that the debate on the UUCA by a deputy minister has been cancelled only spells out that Najib is not keen on reform but merely dishing out election candy.

Likewise, the arrest of 13 under the ISA in the face of a promised repeal is an insult to us all.

Joker: This is another lie in the making. We have already seen how Najib said ISA will be repealed but still use the ISA to detain some people recently.

We have also just witnessed how Najib pulled a fast one by removing the need to apply for a permit for public assembly but added on so many restrictions and penalties that any assembly can in fact be declared illegal due to the new restrictions.

Now Najib wants to appear to be liberal again by saying UUCA shall be relaxed without naming a time-frame, but at the same time deciding to appeal a court ruling that says that the UUCA is wrong and needs amendment.

Tsc: This is yet another act by the 'reform-minded' PM whose acts tells us otherwise. The more BN tries to stifle dissent, the quicker they will be booted out. But it's likely Najib has lost control of the governance in Malaysia.

There seems to be many other forces which do things contrary to what Najib says. Many shadow plays are going on from within Umno.

Anonymous: The amendment to the UUCA is a welcome move. It is timely that the future generations be allowed to participate and be more involved in the affairs of the country.

After all, they are going to be the eventual leaders of this country. It will provide an avenue for orderly succession of political leaders who are well educated and experienced.

For too long, the younger generations have been stifled, resulting in less equipped people engaged in the running of the government.

Early engagement in political affairs of the country at university days will eventually see these people well-prepared for serving in both the political and civil services of this country.

Ben-ghazi: If one reads the ruling by the judges in this case, one would know the meaning of ‘unconstitutional'.

The minister in charge of religious matters, Jamil Khir Baharom, and the minister in charge of Parliament, Nazri Abdul Aziz, should read the judgment.

If they understand it, they would not be making statements about the homosexuality being unconstitutional .

Gusnargh: I think 21 years old is way too old for students to be allowed to be involved in politics. When I was a student, I remember most people getting their first taste of politics when they were in their first year of university. How old are most of the freshies in universities? 18-20?

By setting the age at 21, some will never get to experience politics their entire university careers while others might be able to get involved in their second or third year.

My next question would be about how this will be implemented. Are the students who are old enough supposed to make sure that they don't involve any students who are not old enough? Or is the government going to say, "Have your political meetings but don't have them within a 50m radius of anyone under the age of 21"?

I'm not excited about this ruling yet. There are too many questions remain unanswered.

Anonymous_40a7: Before any student begin to shout and jump for joy, remember what Najib announced two months ago about the repealing of the draconian ISA? And guess what will be replacing it? Yes, the Peaceful Assembly Bill.

It is basically a repackaged ISA under a new name, with some additional ‘upgrades' included. As the saying goes, ‘New bottle, old wine'.

Wira: The appeal of the court decision basically means the government doesn't want to let go because it does not subscribe to the spirit behind why that Act should be repealed.

In other words, we should congratulate the opposition (and ourselves for voting in a strong opposition in 2008) for their success in forcing the hands of Najib and Putrajaya.

The above is a selection of comments posted by Malaysiakini subscribers. Only paying subscribers can post comments. Over the past one year, Malaysiakinians have posted over 100,000 comments. Join the Malaysiakini community and help set the news agenda. Subscribe now .