Universities have the authority to organise programmes in campus and need not refer them to the Higher Education Ministry.

Higher Education Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin said it was up to the vice-chancellor to evaluate suitability of the programmes, including forums.

"On the forum by Barry Wain, writer of the book Malaysian Maverick: Mahathir Mohamad in Turbulent Times, the ministry felt that the university had the tact to evaluate it," he said after presenting registration certificates to private institutions of higher learning (IPTS) in Putrajaya today.

The minister was commenting on the forum organised by Universiti Malaya's Social Behaviour and Science Research Cluster (SBSRC) to discuss Wain's book.

Certain individuals had used the forum held at University Malaya (UM) campus to attack Dr Mahathir, Umno and the Malays.

Khaled said the ministry had directed UM to prepare a comprehensive report on the forum as it was inappropriate and aimed at destroying credibility of a statesman who had contributed much to the country's development.

He urged universities to create guidelines to ensure that programmes were academic in nature to avoid being used by certain individuals as platform for personal interest.

- Bernama