KUALA LUMPUR – Lembah Pantai MP Fahmi Fadzil has called for further amendments to the Universities and University Colleges Act 1971 (Auku), following grievances aired by the Universiti Malaya Students’ Union (UMSU).
Directing his suggestion to Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Noraini Ahmad, the opposition lawmaker told The Vibes that the minister should consider moving a parliamentary bill to modify the act and provide greater financial autonomy for university students.
“The problem now is that under Auku stipulations, student unions are not allowed to manage their own bank accounts.
“This goes against the spirit of independence that we wish to see in our university students and should be rectified in law as well as through administrative means,” he explained.
He also disclosed that he has raised his concerns with UM’s vice chancellor and the Higher Education Minister.
Amendments to the act were previously passed by the Dewan Rakyat in December 2018 to provide students with the opportunity to participate in political activities within the grounds of a tertiary educational institute without fear of repercussions.
However, the act still presents university students with some restrictions, as highlighted by UMSU in an open letter to the university administration regarding recent issues surrounding the welfare of students, primarily the UMSU Rental House and other related matters.
The letter noted that while Fahmi had given RM220,000 to UMSU in 2019 for the purpose of renovating and maintaining the rental houses, the funds had to be channelled to Universiti Malaya’s (UM) account, as the monies cannot be held in the hands of the union.
It claimed that repeated appeals to the university’s Student Affairs Division to present the financial statements for the funds were “suspiciously” left unanswered before the programme was “suddenly” taken away from the union.
Confirming that he had donated the figure to the group, Fahmi said today that he had intended to give the students autonomy in managing the houses while providing them with experience in handling such assets.
He also proposed that UM consider a way of cooperating with the university’s alumni to create improved housing situations for students.
“(The process) will take some time, but they (alumni) have all of the talent and network needed to fundraise the necessary funds for the upgrading of the residential colleges to increase their capacity while retaining the character of the old buildings,” he said.
On September 3, the University of Malaya Association of New Youth raised the alarm over thousands of students apparently failing to secure campus accommodations, in what is believed to be the education institution’s worst ever hostel shortage.
The following day, UMSU president Ooi Guo Shen told The Vibes that the conundrum of inadequate housing facilities is further exacerbated by UM increasing its yearly student intake.
UMSU has since warned that it will organise a “joint protest” with students from other universities if university administrations fail to address the ongoing housing crisis.
In August, The Vibes had reported how youth participation and activism in politics have been hampered by Auku dictates, with the initial legislation leaving lasting damage, especially for students wanting to nurture political consciousness among peers. – The Vibes, September 13, 2022
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