Higher Education Ministry denies AUKU town hall a ‘brainwashing’ session, one-sided

KUALA LUMPUR, April 10 — The Higher Education Ministry today denied allegations made by a DAP assemblyman that it ignored students’ questions and instead “brainwashed” them at a recent town hall session held to discuss the Universities and University Colleges Act (AUKU) 1971.

Noor Azleen Ambros, the Higher Education minister’s special functions officer, clarified that the ministry’s main objective was to collect relevant input from stakeholders’ feedback.

He also denied that the town hall session was turned into a “brainwashing” session, calling the claim strange and odd.

“The town hall session was specifically organised by the ministry to collect input and also receive feedback from the relevant stakeholders on the latest amendments that needed to be done on the Universities and University Colleges Act 1971.

“In fact, it was an open session where those invited were free to express their views on the matter,” said Noor Azleen when contacted by Malay Mail today.

He was responding to Tanah Rata assemblyman Ho Chi Yang’s statement that ministry officials had ignored the demands of students and instead held a brainwashing session.

Ho, who is also DAP Youth’s university affairs bureau chief, was not present during the town hall session on Friday.

However, DAP’s Raub MP Chow Yu Hui attended as an invited elected representative together with all stakeholders including university management, academic staff, administrators, parents and student leaders.

Noor Azleen said the ministry wanted to clear the negative perception surrounding the town hall session that was also attended by Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin.

“There was no pressure for those invited to the town hall session as it was made known that attendees were free to express their views on the matter.

“I can assure the public that there was also no planted questions to even call it a ‘brainwashing’ session,” he said, adding that Mohamed Khaled stayed till the end of the town hall session.

In a statement last night, Ho criticised the Higher Education Ministry claiming the town hall session had nothing to do with reform as the minister and university management were imposing and indoctrinating their views on students and other attendees.

Ho also expressed disappointment with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s repeated remarks in support of retaining the draconian law.

He said Anwar must be open-minded and reminded the prime minister that he was a victim of AUKU during his days as a student activist in the 1970s.

In February, Ho was reported to have urged the federal unity government to repeal AUKU to institutionally guarantee students autonomy in universities.

The AUKU was gazetted as law in April 1971 and had since become the source of authority for the establishment and governance of 20 public higher education institutions (IPTA).

For the past 52 years, the Act has prevented tertiary students from joining political movements.

In 2018, the then Pakatan Harapan (PH) administration had promised to abolish AUKU as part of its general election manifesto.

Then education minister Maszlee Malik and later on then prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had promised to look into ways to repeal the Act before the collapse of the PH government in early 2020.