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MP SPEAKS | Form council to eliminate political interference from higher education
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MP SPEAKS | Among the significant issues related to higher education in the country, apart from the Universities and University Colleges Act (UUCA), which restricted academic and student freedom, is political interference in higher education. The mass appointment of politicians leading the Board of University Directors during the Perikatan Nasional era has made political interference in higher education increasingly concerning.
There may be opinions stating that the same issue happened in the short period of Pakatan Harapan rule, which is not valid. Harapan’s efforts to make systemic changes through legislation to eliminate the culture of political interference are distinct. In this article, I will share the strenuous efforts of the Education Ministry (MOE) during the Harapan era to minimise political interference through the re-establishment of the National Council of Higher Ed
It does not make sense that in a society with the age of majority and right to be elected to Parliament at 18, a person is regarded as unfit to cast a vote.
JULY 2019 to September 2019 was a momentous period for our young citizens because, in response to several youth-led initiatives, the government in Parliament secured passage of the Constitution (Amendment) Act 2019 (Act A1603) to make the following four changes to our electoral laws:
> Article 119(1) was amended to lower the voting age from 21 years to 18;
> Article 119(4) was amended to provide for automatic registration of voters;
> Article 47 was amended to reduce the qualifying age to 18 for contesting a seat in the Dewan Rakyat; and
Women and youth have become targets as Southeast Asian governments exploit COVID-19 induced state of emergency and temporary laws to prosecute them for their political activities.
This emerging phenomenon is examined in Asia Centre’s second baseline study “COVID-19 and Democracy in Southeast Asia: Building Resilience, Fighting Authoritarianism”, released to mark the United Nations International Human Rights Day, Dec. 10.
The 54-page report, compiled from July to November 2020, examines the state of democracy and human rights in the region between Jan. 1 and Nov. 30. It encompasses a review of over 200 reports, articles and case studies, examined by the key words and data presented.