The committee set up to look into amending the Universities and University Colleges Act (UUCA) 1971 is expected to draw up its draft by January next year.

NONE “The amendment emphasises on two principles - to allow students to be involved in activities of political parties off campus (and) to maintain a campus that is independent from party politics,” said Higher Education Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin ( right ).

The decision to amend the UUCA was announced at the beginning of the month by Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.

The 10-person committee, which is scrutinising the law to allow students aged 21 and above to join political parties, is presided over by Universiti Islam Antarabangsa deputy rector (students and alumni affairs) Nik Ahmad Kamal Nik Mahmod, and assisted by:

  • Shamsul Amri Baharuddin, director of Institute of Ethnic Studies, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia,    
  • Shad Saleem Faruqi, legal adviser, Universiti Teknologi Mara,
  • Rohana Yusuf, deputy vice-chancellor (students and alumni affairs), Universiti Malaya,
  • Wan Azman Wan Omar, registrar, Universiti Putra Malaysia,
  • Sivamurugan Pandian, deputy dean (research and postgraduate), Universiti Sains Malaysia,
  • Hamidin Abd Hamid, chief executive officer, Razak School of Government,
  • Azali Mohamed, director of Students Affairs and Development Department, Higher Education Ministry,
  • Noor Aziah Mohd Awal, president of the Academics Association, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, and
  • Seow Ta Wee, head of department of construction management and real estate, University Tun Hussein Onn.
“The committee will study the Act as a whole so that other sections under the UUCA will be in line with the proposed amendment to better reflect Article 10 of the federal constitution on freedom of speech, freedom of association and freedom of assembly,” said Mohamed Khaled, adding that the amendment will be tabled in Parliament in March.

This came after the Court of Appeal ruled that Section 15(5)(a)  is unconstitutional, in a case involving four Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia students.

They had been charged with campaigning for an opposition party during the Hulu Selangor by-election in April.