MELAKA, 15 August 2026 — Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim today announced that the government will abolish the Universities and University Colleges Act 1971 (AUKU), the main law regulating public universities in Malaysia.
The announcement was made during Anwar’s presidential policy speech at the Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) National Congress held at the Melaka International Trade Centre (MITC) in Ayer Keroh.
Anwar said university students have long felt they need greater freedom. Although the government had previously amended AUKU several times to expand student rights, some groups remained dissatisfied and submitted memorandums calling for the Act’s complete repeal.
“Students feel they should be freer. We have already given them more freedom through several amendments to the Universities and University Colleges Act (AUKU). There are still those who are not satisfied and have submitted memos, so today I announce that we will abolish AUKU,” Anwar said.
The Prime Minister added that the move is intended to give students wider freedom and a broader democratic space in line with the government’s higher education reform agenda.
Deputy Higher Education Minister Adam Adli, who is also the Member of Parliament for Hang Tuah Jaya, welcomed the announcement. He shared a video clip of Anwar’s speech on social media, writing: “Alhamdulillah. Thank you, PM.”
AUKU was introduced in 1971 and has long been criticised by student activists for limiting political activities and campus autonomy. Successive governments have amended it multiple times, but calls for full abolition have persisted for decades.
Anwar did not specify a timeline or the details of any replacement legislation.
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