KUALA LUMPUR: The bill regarding the proposed amendments to the Universities and University Colleges Act (Auku) 1971, which will give freedom to students in several matters, was tabled for the second reading at the Dewan Rakyat today.
Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir said the bill, which seeks to empower students, would also elevate the quality of university students once passed.
"May this bill strive to carve out history in the context of empowering public university students.
"Following this, I request the consideration (and approval) of this house so that we can set a good example for our university students."
He said this when tabling the second reading of the bill.
The amendment to Section 15A of the act will allow student representative councils or any student body to make, organise or take part in any collection of money or receive money or any other contributions from any person or body of persons, subjected to any written law.
The amendment, however, stipulates that no student shall make, organise or take part in any collection of money or receive money unless it is on behalf of the university's student council or body.
Zambry said: "The amendment to Section 15A is necessary to allow student representative councils and student bodies to collect funds and receive donations in any manner subject to regulations and written guidelines in force."
Meanwhile, he said the amendment to Section 16B would see the transfer of authority of the vice-chancellor to the student disciplinary committee established by the board to handle disciplinary cases.
"In the context of handling disciplinary cases in universities, a review finds that the current practice in public universities is not managed by the vice-chancellor.
"Instead, the authority lies with the disciplinary committee.
"So the ministry proposes to transfer the authority of the disciplinary authority from the vice-chancellor to the student disciplinary committee to reflect the situation in public universities."
Also, he said several amendments under the First Schedule would include Section 48(4), which would involve the extension of the term of student representative councils from one year to one academic year.
"The situation happened because campus elections could not be held during that time.
"So the provision in Section 48(4) of the First Schedule was inserted to extend the term of student representative council appointments from one year to one academic year.
"The amendment will also enable the board to manage the period of student representative council appointments during the transitional period after the end of the appointment until campus elections are held."
Other amendments to Section 48 of the first schedule include subsections 11, 11A, 11B and 12A.
Meanwhile, the last amendment involves Section 49(2) of the first schedule, where university student bodies will receive similar facilities provided to the student representative council.
"At this juncture, the ministry also wants to inform that the implementation will be done in phases, starting with the student representative council.
"If there are no issues arising and everything proceeds smoothly, student bodies will also receive the same facilities."