ALOR STAR: PKR's Youth wing lauded the government's move to decentralise a university's vice-chancellor power pertaining to disciplinary action on students as proposed in the University and College Act 1971 (AUKU) amendment 2023 bill.
Its Undergraduates Bureau chief Aliff Naif Mohd Fizam described the move as progressive one by the Madani government.
"We take note on the amendment which will decentralise the power of disciplinary action from vice-chancellor to a disciplinary action committee.
"This is a progressive move by decentralising the power from a single individual," he said in a statement.
He was responding to the bill's first round of reading in Dewan Rakyat by Higher Education minister Datuk Seri Mohammed Khaled Nordin on Nov 27.
Aliff added that the PKR Youth is also urging for a representative from undergraduates to be included in the committee, in order to create balanced representation.
After studying the bill, he said the wing wanted to express concerns on the proposal to include Subsection 4A in the Subsection 4 of Section 48, which awards the power to a university's board to limit or extend the membership term of the Students Representative Council (MPP).
"We are demanding for an assurance by the government or the university that this subsection will not be abused to pressure or blackmail a student leadership which is vocal against its university's administration or the government. The students' autonomy and freedom of speech should be well protected," he said.
Meanwhile, Aliff said the PKR Youth wing welcomed the proposal to allow the students body to raise and manage funds.
"It is time for undergraduates to be accorded independence to raise funds and manage their financial affairs.
"The amendment to allow undergraduates to set up and manage their funds will bring a reformation to the students movement.
"The freedom will grant a bigger meaning and responsibility, in line with the aspiration to accord more trust to students to manage and make decisions for their respective organisation."
He added that students should be ready for their account to be audited and ready to face consequences should there be any mismanagement or swindling of funds.
Aliff added that students' leadership in universities should gear up to form a bureau to manage the undergraduates' legal matters, as preparation towards the freedom to be provided under the amendment.
He also called for students' bodies and movements in universities to hold a discourse and public talk to deliberate on the technical aspect of the AUKU amendment.
#kw: Alor Star, PKR Youth wing, University and College Act 1971, Auku, amendment 2023, bill, students