KUALA LUMPUR — The government will repeal the Universities and University Colleges Act 1971 (Act 30), or AUKU, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced today.
He said the proposal to repeal the Act would be presented to the Cabinet next Wednesday.
Anwar, who is also PKR President, said students are still unhappy despite previous amendments.
“Our students feel they deserve to be free. We already liberalised AUKU through amendments, but there is still dissatisfaction. They submitted a memorandum,” he said.
“So today I want to announce that we will abolish the Universities and University Colleges Act,” he said in his presidential policy address at the National Justice Congress 2026 at the Melaka International Trade Centre (MITC) in Ayer Keroh.
Also present were PKR and Unity Government leaders including PKR Deputy President Nurul Izzah Anwar, Gabungan Rakyat Sabah Chairman Datuk Seri Hajiji Nor, and AMANAH President Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu.
Since it was enacted in 1971, AUKU has been amended seven times. The 2012 amendment allowed students to join political party activities outside campus. Other amendments were made in 1971, 1975, 1983, 1996 and 2009.
The most recent amendment in 2024 removed disciplinary action against public university students from the Vice Chancellor’s sole authority. It is now decided by a Student Disciplinary Committee under the amended Section 16B of AUKU.
The amendment also improved Section 15A, allowing Student Representative Councils and student bodies to collect funds and receive contributions in any manner, subject to existing written rules and laws.
For the record, Pakatan Harapan had called for the full repeal of AUKU and included it in its GE14 manifesto, with plans to replace it with a new Universities Act focused on academic autonomy.
But after taking office, the Unity Government chose to amend rather than fully repeal it, citing the need for a legal framework to govern university administration and asset management.
That approach continued to draw criticism from student unions demanding a complete abolition.— August 15, 2026