Anwar vows complete UUCA repeal by year-end to restore campus freedoms

KUALA LUMPUR — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim reaffirmed his administration's commitment to entirely repeal the Universities and University Colleges Act (UUCA) within the current calendar year, describing the legislative move as essential to ending restrictions on campus freedoms.

The premier's pledge underscores the government's broader agenda to reform Malaysia's tertiary education landscape and address longstanding concerns about institutional autonomy and student expression. The UUCA, which has governed university operations for decades, has faced sustained criticism from academics, students and rights advocates who argue its provisions create a restrictive environment.

Anwar characterised the existing regulatory framework as fostering a "culture of fear" within universities, suggesting that repealing the legislation would enable a more open intellectual environment conducive to academic discourse and student participation in campus affairs.

The government's timeline for completing the repeal represents an accelerated effort to deliver on campaign commitments made by the ruling coalition. Legal experts and university administrators have signalled readiness to engage with proposed alternatives that would balance institutional governance requirements with enhanced freedoms for academic and student communities.