Bringing more Palestinian students to Malaysian universities will have collateral effects

Politicizing the universities once again is positive for political freedoms

The Universities and University Colleges Act (AUKU) 1971 greatly restricts the political activities of students on Malaysian campuses. Although university students over the age of 18 are able to vote in elections, any political activities on campuses could lead to censure by authorities.

Although the act was repealed in 2018 to give students more leniency in the activities they undertake, political rights are kept on a short leash. The extent of political activities greatly depends upon the issue at hand, where university authorities may be a blind eye for students undertaking any activities favourable towards government narratives.

For activities the university authorities don’t like, they withhold approval to use university building or space, utilize the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012, or just turn off the power to building where a meeting might be held.

With the dramatic increase in Palestinian students coming to Malaysian campuses around the nation, the demographics of the foreign cohorts is changing. Palestinian students are being lured by tuition fee waivers, monthly allowances, student sponsorship, free medical care, and even free housing. In fact, the minister Zambry Abdul Kadir has said that vice chancellors of both public and private universities should take steps to help more Palestinians

This is positive news for Malaysian universities. The culture of the student body will change. Expect Palestinian students to be more politically motivated than local students. Palestinian student movements around the anglophile world always had access to funds to undertake protests. First, the Palestinians will show concern about issues within their own country. This ‘protest culture’ could easily catch on and focus upon domestic issues in Malaysia.

This would be good if it rubs off on local Malay students and bring them out of their ‘political shells’ and release them from their ‘political inhibitions. Consequently, one would expect Malaysian university campuses to become more politically active once again. You only need 1 person in a hundred to spread ideas across a cohort of students. One just needs to study what has happened at universities across the Anglophile world.

Let’s look forward to the transformation of university campuses in Malaysia. This may help ignite political passion of Malaysian students. Malaysian universities may become politically very exciting places in the near future.

The UNDI 18 movement had unintended consequences for Pakatan Harapan. So migth bringing in large numbers of Palestinian students to mix with local student cohorts.

Subscribe Below: