KUALA LUMPUR: The International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) Student Union has advocated changes to the Universities and University Colleges Act 1971 (Auku) to safeguard student autonomy.
IIUM Student Union said the proposed amendments to the Act presented by the Higher Education Ministry posed a potential limitation on student autonomy and seemed to centralise authority within the university administration.
The student union demanded the removal of subsection 4A to Section 48 of the First Schedule, which grants the Board power to reduce or extend the Student Representative Council (SRC) or Student Union (SU) membership term and its members.
"It may lead to granting the Board unrestricted authority to adjust membership terms and open the door to arbitrary decision-making.
"Without specific guidelines or criteria for such decisions, there is a risk that the Board could make decisions based on personal preferences, political motivations or factors unrelated to the student body's best interests," the IIUM Student Union said in a statement today.
The student union subsequently proposed allocating a fixed membership term of one academic year for the SRC, underlining the importance of letting the elected SRC representatives choose their membership term.
Also, the student union pointed out that the amendment of Section 16(b) subsection 2A required the Student Disciplinary Committee to be led by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor and have a minimum of three members, including appointed university employees.
"This could lead to a potentially biased decision-making committee without including the voices and concerns of the students.
"We suggest that the Student Disciplinary Committee should include student representatives from SRC or SU for a more balanced and fair decision making," the statement read.
Nevertheless, the IIUM Student Union welcomed the proposed financial autonomy for SRC in handling funds.
"This will reduce students' dependence on the university and allow for their governance of financial management without any external pressure or intervention.
"It fosters financial responsibility, empowering students to make informed budgeting, saving, and investing decisions," the statement said.
On Nov 27, Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khalid Nordin presented the first reading for the amendments to Auku in Parliament.
Khaled said another amendment to Auku will be made during the next parliamentary sitting.
"The amendment is to give continuous freedom to the students.
"After this, there will be no restrictions for the students."