KUALA LUMPUR: Dr Maszlee Malik tabled three bills in the Dewan Rakyat today to amend the Universities and University Colleges Act 1971 (UUCA) and two other Acts to allow students to participate in political activities on campus.
The Education Minister tabled the bills for first reading to amend not only UUCA but also the Private Higher Educational Institutions Act 1996 (PHEIA) and the Educational Institutions (Discipline) Act 1976 (EIDA).
The first bill seeks to remove subsection (c) of Section 15 (2) of UUCA, which bans students from taking part in political party activities within the grounds of universities and colleges.
The second bill seeks the removal of subsection (c) of Section 47 (2) of PHEIA, which bans students from partaking in political activities on private higher educational institutions campus.
The third bill seeks to remove subsection (c) of Section 10 (2) of EIDA to give students the right to be involved in political activities on campus.
All three bills also seek amendments to the three Acts so that in the event the amendments are passed, then any ongoing disciplinary action against students for participation in on-campus political activities be discontinued when the amendments take effect.
The three bills will be debated by lawmakers once they come up for second reading in Parliament.
In the run-up to the 14th General Election, the Pakatan Harapan Manifesto promised to repeal UUCA and other laws.
However recently it was reported that the PH government made a U-turn when it said that it would merely seek amendments to UUCA, among others to increase the right of university and college students to take part in political activities.
UUCA was tightened to curtail student activism following the Baling protests in December 1974.
Thousands of university students had demonstrated in Baling, Kedah, to show support to rubber tappers struggling to earn a living after the collapse of global rubber prices.
After 1975, amendments were not only made to UUCA but also other laws to widen the restrictions to students at both public and private institutes of higher learning, among others.