The University and University Colleges Act 1971 (AUKU) may finally be free of its draconian image with a possible amendment soon that may change its flavour for good. There is hope yet for greater freedom of association and expression for university students,
MENTION the University and University Colleges Act 1971 and most public university students will tell you it's draconian in nature.While most would be hard-pressed to detail the contents of the AUKU, it is clear that the act curtails a student's freedom of association and expression.Basically, a student cannot have any dealings with any society, political party, trade union or organisation, without advanced written approval from the vice-chancellor.If the student contravenes these restrictions, it is considered an offence that is punishable, on conviction, by a fine or prison term.
The student is automatically suspended or dismissed from the university without any recourse for continuing his studies.Although the act is to provide for the establishment, maintenance and administration of universities and university colleges, and has 27 sections to it, it is Section 15 -- related to freedom of association and discipline of students -- that has been the most contentious.It has kept calls to abolish or repeal the act alive through the years.But a recently-tabled amendment by the Higher Education Ministry to the University and University Colleges Act 1971, up for debate at the next parliamentary session, seems fairer, more mature and humane.
Although students will still not be allowed to associate with any political party or unlawful organisation, they will be given the freedom to join any society, organisation (including governmental organisations) or group.This is regardless of whether or not it is established under any written law, in or outside the university, and in or outside Malaysia. And, they can do so without permission from the vice-chancellor.Currently, the vice-chancellor expressly identifies which organisation is allowed. With this amendment, the vice-chancellor has to expressly identify which organisation is not allowed.
Further, a student shall not be prevented from making a statement on an academic matter relating to a subject on which he is engaged in study or research.Interestingly, the amendment decriminalises offences in the act and removes the criminal penalties provided under Section 15. Therefore, all offences committed by a student under AUKU will be disciplinary offences.And, in keeping with the principle of "education is the right of all", the amendment will ensure that there is no reason why a student should be deprived of the opportunity to study, even if he is detained or in prison.
For instance, a student who is charged with a registerable offence (as defined under the Registration of Criminals and Undesirable Persons Act 1969) would no longer face automatic suspension. The vice-chancellor has the discretion to suspend or dismiss the student. He can also only be suspended or dismissed if a serious offence has been committed.A student who has been dismissed from the university may also apply to enter the same university or another university, with permission from the minister.A student in detention or imprisonment may sit for university examinations with the permission of the senate and home minister.
A student who is suspended may enter another university with the written permission of the minister.And, if a student is discharged or acquitted of a registerable offence, the period in which he was suspended or imprisoned (if detained while awaiting trial or appeal) will not be counted towards the overall maximum period of study.If a student faces disciplinary charges, he has the right to be heard and represented at the disciplinary hearing. And for a student to be stripped of his degree, only the chancellor can do it with the support of not less than two-thirds of the university board.Unlike previously, where the definition of "student" referred only to undergraduates, this amendment seeks to extend it to any student who is following a course of study, instruction, training or research at the preparatory, undergraduate, post-graduate or post-doctoral level, including distance-learning, off-campus, exchange and non-graduating students.
This means while only undergraduates are currently allowed to hold positions in university societies or be a member of the student representative council, with this amendment, a mature post-graduate student can also avail himself of the full extent of university life.And, keeping in mind the right of everyone to education, the amendment has also taken into consideration the rights of politicians who may want to further their studies in public universities.Although a student is not allowed to be a member of a political party, the vice-chancellor may give exemption to any politician who wishes to become a student in the university, thus enabling any serving politician to enroll for a course at a university without giving up his political career.
Even more liberating, under this proposed amendment, Section 15C, presumptions will be deleted. Currently, under this section, if a person is found in possession, custody or control of any books, accounts, writings, lists of members, seals or banners relating to any organisation, it is presumed, until the contrary is proven, that such a person is a member of such an organisation.
Maha suci Allah yang telah memperjalankan hamba-Nya pada suatu malam dari Masjidil-Haram ke Masjidil-Aqsa yang telah Kami berkati sekelilingnya agar Kami memperlihatkan kepadanya sebahagian dari tanda-tanda Kami. Sesungguhnya Dia adalah Maha Mendengar lagi Maha Melihat
(maksud surah al-isra’:ayat 1)
Dalam peristiwa isra’ dan mikraj,Rasulullah S.A.W di isra’kan dari masjidil-Haram ke Masjidil Al-aqsa menaiki Buraq sejenis binatang kenderaan yang sangat laju dengan di iringi oleh malaikat Jibril. Apabila Rasulullah sampai di masjidil Aqsa,baginda bersembahyang dengan para Nabi ‘alaihis salam. Setelah itu, baginda di bawa 2 minuman iaitu arak dan susu.Baginda memilih susu mengambarkan bahawa Islam adalah agama yang fitrah dan bersih serta melambangkan ketenangan dan juga kesejahteraan.
Kemudiannya, berlakunya mikraj di mana baginda di bawa ke langit satu demi satu di sambut oleh para Malaikat Allah. Baginda di pertemukan dengan rasul-rasul terdahulu sehinggalah baginda bertemu Allah dan di fardu solat lima waktu. Baginda selamat pulang di waktu paginya dan apabila perkara ini di beritahu kepada orabg ramai, maka orang-orang musyrikin berlonjak lonjak mendustakan dan mempersendakan Rasulullah. Begitulah secara ringkas berlakunya peristiwa Isra’ dan Mikraj di mana peristiwa ini berlaku hanya dalam satu malam sahaja. Ini membuktikan kebesaran Allah yang Maha Agong. Rasulullah di Mikraj kan ke langit dan di fardukan solat Lima waktu mengambarkan bahawa solat adalah perkara yang sangat penting dan merupakan tiang agama Islam. Jesteru itu, perkara yang berkaitan dengan solat janganlah di pandang remah kerana barang siapa yang meninggalkan solat seumpama meruntuhkan agama itu sendiri.Wallahu a’lam
Terlebih dahulu saya ingin memohon maaf kerana sudah lama tidak meng “update” blog ini kerana kekangan masa yang meghimpit.saya bersyukur sehadrat Ilahi kerana limpahan rahmat dan inayah dari-Nya dapat juga saya menyiapkan dan mewujudkan blog saya sendiri.Saya cuba untuk beralih angin menjadi seorang penulis atau bloger kerana sejak kebelakangan ini menulis blog menjadi trend dan penting terutama selepas berakhirnya era PRU ke-12,ramai dikalangan Yb-Yb kita menjadikan blog sebagai jambatan penghubung dan informasi kepada rakyat umumnya.
Dengan ujudnya blog ini dapatlah saya menulis apa sahaja yang terlintas di fikiran ini dan mengutara idea serta pendapat saya sendiri.Kepada para pelawat diucapkan ribuan terima kasih kerana sudi menjengah ke blog ini diharapkan dapat memberi sedikit komentar ataupun kritikan yang membina kepada saya dalam mematangkan lagi diri saya sendiri dalam dunia siber ini. Terima kasih.
When I first saw a Malay film created by the late Tan Sri P.Ramlee entitled Pendekar Bujang Lapok. There are some scenes that shown how the youth in 30 to 5o years past led their life. Some of them really did not get a proper education and even did not know how to write. I remembered about what my father had said to me one year ago. He said to me that today’s youths are very different from his youths generation of 50 years ago. When he was a child, he and his friends went to paddy field to catch fish and played with the mud that really made them got dirty all over their bodies. They got so many fish and they decided to sell them all at the market. After that, my father and his friends went to the river for the refreshment and enjoyed swimming. They felt very happy and excited. That was my father’s sweet memory. He was born 50 years ago. My father’s stories made me realized how different today’s youth life compared to 50 years ago of youth generation. Paddy fields as playground, rivers, and caught fish with friends during free time and playing with mud are not valid anymore for today’s youth. Looking back at the older citizens’ life stories of 50 years before when they were young, it made me realized how different today’s youth life regarding their life style, surrounding and way of life.
Youths today are very lucky because they are able to continue their study at the high level such as pursuing their degrees, master or even completing their PHD (doctor of philosophy). This is due to the government policy that prioritized education as the most important aspect in order to produce good quality citizens and boost the development of our country in all aspects including economic, education and also political matters. To compare with youths of 50 years ago, they were getting low education level. Majority of them just studied at primary school only because they did not have enough money to support their study at secondary schools, colleges or university. After finished their study at primary schools, some of them started to search for a job to help their families. Furthermore, our government also provides more facilities and infrastructures for education better than 50 years ago. Before, usually small and simple schools were built especially in the village to give children proper education and had only one university which is University of Malaya with less facilities and teachers. Today, with the proper planning made by government, more infrastructures for education fields such laboratory, computer labs, and internet connection are being provided at mostly every schools and higher level institutions. Not only that, private colleges and universities are also available as the alternative ways to obtain educations. So, youth usually have many choices to pursue their studies in any fields that they are interested with.
Today, youths are searching for a higher qualification in their education level due to the competitive demand to get a good job. Unfortunately, some of them become unemployed as they need to compete to get jobs and fill the vacancy. Youths today must be able to use computers or become computer literate, know about technologies, able to speak English and others international language fluently for better communication, have more working experiences and more others add values for suitability to get jobs. Compared to youths 50 years ago, some of them had a low qualification but they get a high salary and easier to get jobs due to less competition to get jobs as not many of them are eligible for certain position in certain work fields. For examples, who wanted to be a teacher 50 years ago, after finished their primary school, they were eligible to start their work as a teacher and get a high salary. Today, those who want to be a teacher, they must continue their study at the university and get a degree in education and then they are eligible to be a teacher. It is very difficult and need a very long procedure. So, youths 50 years ago had more employment opportunities and easier to get jobs than youths today. However, with the helps and initiative from the government and also certain non-governmental organization (NGO), some resolution were made to help the youth to be more active and join business sector as a way to reduce unemployment among them. Thus, more young entrepreneurs in many sectors of business were born to help to boost the economic sector and enhance human resources development.
Moreover, social lives of today’s youth are quite different compared to youths of 50 years ago. Youths today are not really concerned and take care with everybody around them. They do not know whom are their neighbor and some of them even have just small number of friends. They like to stay in their room or house, playing computer games, watch a movie and others. In other words, they live they life in their own world. It is different with youths 50 years ago where they are concerned and take care with peoples around them. They joined the social activities such as “gotong-royong”, helping during wedding ceremonies and others occasions that were held in their places. In addition, youths 50 years ago always respect their parents, friendly and act politely when they talked or do something. They are very concern about their behavior and reflect good impression towards peoples who are older than their age. Sometimes, these situations are quite different for certain youths nowadays. Some of them did not show their respect or even did not try to seek and listen for pieces of advices from their parents. Some of them choose to be extreme, rebellious and hot tempered that only think about their own self.
As a conclusion, today’s youth are more lucky and lead a more better life if we are comparing them with the life of youth of 50 years ago in almost every aspect of live such as education, job opportunity, technology, proper development of country and also monetary aspect. These situation prove that as time pass by, our country development become stronger and thus can open a lot of opportunities for improvement in our citizens way of life to be better. This is the importance for our new generation to continue keeping the development and achievement of our country at this level for greater future. However, today’s youth should appreciate more what they have now and learn to use all the things and specialties they have wisely.
