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KUALA LUMPUR - The Higher Education Ministry is considering the possibility of allowing parties to establish branches on campus in line with amendments to the Universities and Colleges Act 1971 (AUKU).
Its Minister Datuk Seri Khaled Nordin said the relaxed restrictions are in line with efforts to nourish democratic practices and cultivate political maturity among the youth.
He said currently many restrictions have been relaxed to suit current developments.
"As what was announced (previously), we have done several amendments to AUKU involving several students, university administration and such.
"So all those things have indeed been relaxed and possibly including the issues proposed by Yang Berhormat," he said in Dewan Rakyat on Thursday.
Khaled was answering Muhammad Islahuddin Abas's (PN-Mersing) additional question on whether the Ministry would relax restrictions for political parties to establish branches in university campuses to nourish democratic practices and the cultivation of political maturity in line with reform efforts.
Meanwhile, in response to Islahuddin's original question regarding whether the government will continue the practice of appointing vice chancellors by the minister following the Ministry's decision not to repeal AUKU, Khaled insisted the method of appointments will remain the same.
"Since the government has no proposal to abolish AUKU, the existing practice regarding the appointment of public university (UA) vice chancellors will continue as before.
"The appointment of vice chancellors of public universities is done by the Minister in accordance with procedures and provisions of the Act approved by the Parliament and the Act is AUKU 1971," he said.