UUCA replacement Bill expected to be tabled in December, says Zambry

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 23 — The first reading of the Bill to replace the Universities and University Colleges Act (AUKU) is expected to be tabled at the Dewan Rakyat sitting in December, said Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir.

He said the ministry is working to complete a comprehensive series of engagements with stakeholders to ensure the Bill accounts for the entire national higher education ecosystem before it is tabled in Parliament.

“In terms of timeline, we will try to see whether we can carry out the first reading, perhaps at the December parliamentary sitting.

“But you must remember, it (the Bill) will involve very extensive engagement,” he said after the closing ceremony of the University Research and Innovation Investment Summit (URIIS) 2026 here today.

He added that the draft Bill is not confined to student freedom, but also covers administrative structure, university governance and academic aspects.

He explained that AUKU contains 44 sections, of which seven involve students, while the rest cover matters related to the establishment of universities, university governance, academics and others.

“We understand that when drafting a new act, we must take into account the entire ecosystem of the national higher education system,” he said.

Zambry said the latest series of engagements was held with the Parliamentary Special Select Committee to obtain feedback from both government and opposition representatives.

Meanwhile, turning to Budget 2027, Zambry expressed hope that the Higher Education Ministry would secure a larger allocation to support the Malaysian Higher Education Development Plan. — Bernama 

* Editor’s note: AUKU is the acronym derived from the Malay name of the Act.