Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim today announced that the government will repeal the Universities and University Colleges Act 1971, better known as Auku.
Anwar, who is also PKR president, said several amendments had previously been made to the Act, but students remained dissatisfied with some of its provisions.
‘Students feel they should be given more freedom. We have given them greater freedom through amendments to the Auku, but some are still dissatisfied and have submitted a memorandum.
‘So today, I want to announce that we will abolish the Act,’ he said in his keynote address at the 2026 PKR Congress at the Melaka International Trade Centre in Ayer Keroh.
Students seek greater freedom
Anwar said the government’s previous amendments to Auku had expanded the freedom available to students, but concerns over certain provisions remained.
Auku was last amended in 2025 to give student associations greater autonomy over fundraising and other activities.
However, the Higher Education Ministry had previously said it had no plans to abolish the law entirely.
Pressure for full repeal
The ministry’s position prompted 40 students representing more than 30 student groups to march to Parliament on Feb 9 to demand the Act’s full repeal.
DAP’s youth wing also called on the ministry to revive the committee established in 2019 to abolish Auku, arguing that merely reviewing the Act was insufficient.
Nationwide campaign launched
In April, student group Sekretariat Mansuh Auku launched a nationwide campaign calling for the repeal of the Act.
The campaign targeted both private and public universities, including Universiti Malaya, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Universiti Utara Malaysia and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia.
