Deputy higher education minister Mustapha Sakmud has rejected claims that Universiti Malaya (UM) is undermining student autonomy by appointing advisers to student bodies and requiring the approval of its student affairs department for activities.
He said all public universities, including UM, appoint advisers only as mentors and facilitators to support student initiatives, not to interfere with autonomy.
“The higher education ministry assures that approval for student programmes rests with the student representatives council (SRC), and in the case of UM, the students’ union,” Bernama reported him as telling the Dewan Rakyat today.
Mustapha was responding to Chow Yu Hui (PH-Raub), who had raised concerns over alleged interference by the student affairs department in student activities.
He said Phase One of his ministry’s students’ empowerment agenda began in March, covering three key initiatives: allowing the full election of the SRC by students, giving students administrative autonomy, and strengthening political literacy on and off campus.
Mustapha said with the Universities and University Colleges Act 2024 taking effect on Oct 1, the ministry was moving into Phase Two, granting students greater authority over finance, welfare, and income generation.
He said this included allowing student bodies to open bank accounts, receive external funding, manage their finances, allocate welfare funds through the SRC or students’ union, and generate revenue independently.
