- The birth of AUKU in 1971 was attributed to many factors. Apart from the need to regulate the higher education industry as well as is in direct response of the involvement of students in politics and the mess they created during that period. Anwar was the President of several union bodies back then. On regular basis they did demonstration including the famous Baling demonstration. Anwar built his career as a vocal demonstrator till Mahathir convinced him that he could contribute to the nation more effectively if he joins UMNO compared to as an NGO. When Anwar was Education Minister he was renamed the national language from Bahasa Malaysia to Bahasa Melayu. I disagree with the renaming.
- Following the Hulu Selangor by-election in April 2010, four UKM political science students (Muhammad Hilman Idham, Woon King Chai, Muhammad Ismail Aminuddin and Azlin Shafina Mohamad Adzha) were charged by UKM for participating in the by-election. UKM claimed that they had breached Section 15(5) (a) of AUKU 1971. They challenged UKM legally in June 2010 that finally led to the decision of Appeals court that Section 15 of the ACT is illegal as it contravenes the Federal Constitution. The FG has instructed the AG to appeal and the matter is now pending in Federal court.There are two schools of thoughts on the decision by the Appeals court. One says the court decision implied that the whole AUKU is illegal and another says that it only affects Section 15 of the ACT. This is the bone of contention that needs further clarification. If the whole ACT were considered illegal it would affect many aspects of governance of universities. The detail of the law is available HERE.
- I quote Azmi Sharom “Higher education is not merely about going to the lecture theatre and mugging for your exams. It is about expanding your horizons, taking responsibility for your actions and acting on your convictions”. I agree totally. Personally, I feel section 15 of the ACT should be modified. The law in this country treats a person above the age of 18 as an adult. Upon attaining age of 21 years old, a person can get married without the consent of its parents and can vote. I was an undergraduate once and while in UKM I was active in association. I could see how malleable the political ideologies of university students. However that is part of growing up and maturing process. We should allow students to participate in political activities but we should not allow it to take place on campus. Those who want to be active in politics must also be prepared to face the consequences if they break the law. That choice should be left to them.
PLEASE KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN FOR A MISSING CHILD
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You said… “The birth of AUKU in 1971 was attributed to many factors. Apart from the need to regulate the higher education industry as well as is in direct response of the involvement of students in politics and the mess they created during that period. Anwar was the President of several union bodies back then. On regular basis they did demonstration including the famous Baling demonstration.”
I would like to put the above in the right perspective. The UUCA/AUKU became law on 27 April 1971. The series of student anti-government demonstrations including the famous demonstration in Baling Kedah was in 1974, i.e. subsequent to UUCA/AUKU becoming law.
I think Anwar was not a catalyst for TDM to introduce UCCA/AUKU but it was more to what had happened in Europe/US/Japan with revolts and political protests by student groups then, and perhaps also our very own ethnic riots of 135. At that time there were only six universities then.
My concern are on unscrupulous politicians exploiting/instigating students to cause trouble, the students got punished for anarchism and the politicians go scot-free.
But if Section 15 is a deterrent for students to gain employment, creating knowledge and producing Nobel Laureates, review it or abolish it altogether.
[I will do "solat hajat" for Darwish Abd Fatah to be found and returned to his family. ]
Dear Zul
I am aware of the Baling incident in 1974 where led to Anwar spending 20 months under ISA.
The AUKU came into effect in view of the strong local developments.
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.Again I will digress a little from the topic of auku and
relate a story involving the antics of a senior officer
of the gomen [ setiausaha sulit kanan menteri] at
the office I was working.
The senior ptd officer in question was working smart
when he approached the liason officer in a department
to prepare the minister’s preface to an inaugral
brochure for a ministry’s function. And faced with a
request and the department is always duty bound to
support the minster I duly complied .
Ok. I prepared a preface for the minister. That was fine.
And when the preface appeared in the print, the koling
chappie replaced the credits for the preparation of the
preface with his initials. Clever. So he thought.
Plagiarism must have been a feature at his university!!!
lately , it was discovered that the University Malaya , indian
studies department had been dishing out first class degrees
to their students who are not worthy of the degree
and I suspect the officer in question was one such graduate!
The point I want to make is this-
If a university is running courses where the students have
time to spend in demonstrations , then that courses ought to be discontinued
and the department closed. That was what the late Margaret Thatcher
did to the British universities!
A university education must be a challenge for the mind-
not a place to have fun in demonstration.
It is only with good mind training can we get graduates who
can think with their mind and make appropriate changes
to the country working system,
We cannot be ‘chinchai ‘ in our approach to university education.
Too many universities and too easy graduation requirements make
the ijazah not worth the paper it is printed on! A university life is a
pressure cooker environment – where maximum learning in minimum
time takes place. I suspect too many universities, too many easy courses
and easy graduation make for lousy undergraduate environment.
If a student got enough time to demonstrate he must have an easy course
with lots of free time.
THERE IS NO CORRELATION TO RELATE GOOD UNIVERSITY DEMONSTRATION
WITH GOOD GOVERNANCE IN A COUNTRY.
If I miss something, pray do tell.
Undergraduates of my generation will always remember the harsh measure that
the us gomen took on the Kent State students.
Tukar Tiub , a bright poet -in-the- making in his student days never did graduate from UM
much to the disappointment of his late mom.
So when one is at the U , one’s job is study study study.
Is that too much to ask of a son or daughter?
Hehehehe…maybe this blog is not the place for you to digress all these issues..
only one liners?
are u one of the typical graduate of a fucked up local u?
must be. probable and expected.
Dear hanana bt abdulla…no need for the foul language
breath in…breath out 
salaam
I beg to differ from Anwaar. I love reading your digression
especially this one remark you made about Tukar Tiub.
I love him to pieces, his writings & musings are of rare quality to me. I draw inspiration from him in a way – I began to wonder, could it be true, that some really really good people can rise above what universities offer.
In a way it does put things into a new perspective to me when you said his mom was dismayed that he did not graduate. I suppose my parents would have felt the same way had I followed the same path. Years & years down the road – would the demos matter anymore. Nowadays, I am not so sure… but, to each his own. Hisham Rais is still an articulate writer, and I will always be a fan.
Tukar Tiub recently named Adam Adli as one of the faces of 2011. This may come across as cynically judgemental of me to say – but! I honestly felt Adam is not all that I thought he was. Tukar Tiub in his younger days could have easily outshone the lad, hands down.
I expect an articulate man to match his guts, but I don’t see this in his write ups. I have a sneaking suspicion that the Opposition is just going to make use of him & that is sad.
Doc
Do you have a better picture of the child? Thanks
Salam
malaysian university is very low class.the graduate cannot speak english.they cannot work in multinational like shell and mobil.
when a utm graduate go to clubs,they scared.cannot get girls because poor english.
college act silence them further.wear tudung and only then go to heaven.
crazy malaysia in a world of a language understood by all..english.talent and
bravery is punished.
no wonder malaysia going backward
THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH AUKU!
Speaking of poor English…hehhehe..
jangan marah marah wiramas 
Aiyo Wiramas… apa tudung? Poor English? That’s nothing to do with Auku.
You are totally SICK. I wear tudung labuh, speak OK in English and still get a job in a Publishing company. So what? Baca tajuk artikel dulu before komen. There’s so much noble thing to do other than keep demonstrating on streets!