KUALA LUMPUR: The majority of participants at a roundtable discussion on the Universities and University Colleges Act 1971 (UUCA) want it abolished, not just amended.
The roundtable discussion was hosted by Deputy Higher Education Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah yesterday.
Saifuddin said while the ministry's official stance was to amend the Act, he remained open to all possibilities.
He added that through open discussions with various stakeholders, he hoped to avoid repeating the same mistake made by the Government when preparing the Bill for the recent Peaceful Assembly Act 2011.
The participants at the roundtable comprised undergraduates, academic staff and MPs, among others.
“There has not been any empirical proof that student involvement in politics can affect their academic performance,'' said constitutional law expert Prof Datuk Dr Shad Saleem Faruqi, who is a member of the special committee which is looking into the UUCA amendments.
Apart from the Act, he said the mentality of university staff must also change as there were many “Little Napoleons” within the university administration.
Speaking to the press after the roundtable discussion, Bar Council president Lim Chee Wee said there was no reason for students to be denied their rights.
“We hope that in amending the Act the Federal Constitution will be upheld, especially freedom of speech, expression and association,” he added.
The review of the UUCA followed the Court of Appeal ruling on Oct 31 that Section 15(5)(a) was unconstitutional.
The appeal was brought by former Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia political science undergraduates Muhammad Hilman Idham, Woon King Chai, Muhammad Ismail Aminuddin and Azlin Shafina Mohamad Adza, who faced disciplinary action for being present during the Hulu Selangor by-election on April 24 last year.
The draft amendments to the UUCA are expected to be tabled in Parliament next year.
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