KUALA LUMPUR, 27 August 2026 (The Capital Post) – Reform of the country’s higher education system should create new opportunities for universities to develop as dynamic centres of knowledge, research and thought, with the abolition of the Universities and University Colleges Act (AUKU) among the key steps in the transformation.
Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim said higher education could no longer operate within an old framework as the country faces rapid changes, including developments in artificial intelligence (AI), technology and emerging skills requirements.
He said universities must continue to serve as centres of learning and excellence that provide students and academics with space to think critically, express views and produce scholarly work.
According to him, greater freedom should be given to students so that universities can become platforms for fresh and critical thinking, while differences in views should be embraced through mature debate and the exchange of ideas.
Dato’ Seri Anwar said the abolition of AUKU did not mean creating a space without boundaries, stressing that freedom must go hand in hand with responsibility and respect for the law and university governance.
He said the Government wanted several measures relating to student and academic freedom to be implemented immediately, while a new higher education legislative framework would be developed based on a more comprehensive reform agenda.
At the same time, he called for the process to be expedited, with several immediate measures to be brought before the Cabinet for consideration, while the new legislative framework is targeted for tabling before the end of the Parliament sitting in November.
Higher Education Minister Dato’ Seri Diraja Dr. Zambry Abd Kadir said AUKU reform should be viewed as part of a broader transformation of the higher education ecosystem rather than as a standalone initiative.
He said the Malaysia Higher Education Plan (RPTM) 2026-2035, developed based on input from more than 8,000 stakeholders, would serve as an important framework for driving a more flexible and adaptive higher education system.
Among the shifts outlined is the concept of “unbundling higher education system”, which moves beyond the traditional campus-based model to include more flexible forms of learning suited to technological changes.
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Dr. Zambry said the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) was also reviewing AUKU alongside several other higher education laws to establish a more comprehensive legal framework through the proposed One Higher Education Act (OHEA), which is intended to guide the sector for the next 20 to 30 years.
He said the development of the new framework would take into account the views of three key components of the higher education ecosystem — students, academics and university administrators — to ensure the reforms benefit the system both now and in the future.
Academy of Sciences Malaysia (ASM) president YM Tengku Datuk Dr. Mohd Azzman Shariffadeen said the national education system should move from content-based learning towards inquiry-based learning, real-world problem solving and more flexible lifelong learning pathways.
He said the shift was important to produce “purpose-driven learners” who are not only knowledgeable and skilled but also possess strong values, resilience and the wisdom to make sound decisions in facing an unpredictable future.
Education Minister Datuk Seri Fadhlina Sidek, meanwhile, stressed the importance of human-centred education, which views students not merely through examination grades or labour market requirements but as individuals who need to be developed holistically and in balance.
She said character development instilled through the education system should continue into higher education so that students who enjoy greater freedom and autonomy also possess the values, responsibility and capacity to contribute to nation-building.
The 13th edition of the Malaysia MADANI Scholars Forum, themed “The Future of National Education and the Universities and University Colleges Act (AUKU)”, was held at Dewan Tunku Canselor, Universiti Malaya, last night. The forum brought together Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim as moderator, the Higher Education Minister, the Education Minister and the ASM president to discuss the direction of reforms and the future of the country’s education system.
According to a post on the official Facebook page of the Ministry of Higher Education, the forum served as a platform to discuss the direction of reforms and the future of higher education in Malaysia. – The Capital Post
