SHAH ALAM: Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim says he is willing to allow Muda president Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman hold intellectual functions at public universities but stressed that he must follow the rules.
“I’m open about this but there are rules to follow. He must inform and let the university know the place to hold the event,” he said in a dialogue with students at UiTM here.
Anwar was responding to a student’s question on his stand regarding the Muar MP’s “Abolish Auku” tour at public universities.
Auku refers to the controversial Universities and University Colleges Act 1971 which restricts students from engaging in politics.
Syed Saddiq was denied entry into the Shah Alam UiTM campus recently after the university claimed he did not get an approval through official channels for the event.
Higher education minister Khaled Nordin had said that the bill regarding the proposed amendments of certain sections of the Act to allow students to engage in political activities was expected to be tabled in Parliament later this year.
In a related matter, Anwar said it was not possible to establish only one Auku Act to cover both public and private universities due to their differences.
At a forum yesterday, Syed Saddiq said while he preferred having the Act abolished as a whole, substantial revamps of the law would be the next alternative to guarantee greater freedom for students and academics.