No ban on varsity students joining politics: Khairy

KUALA LUMPUR: The government has no problems with undergraduates joining politics, as long as they do not violate the laws or regulations of their respective universities.

Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said the government’s decision to amend Section 15 of the Universities and University Colleges Act (AUKU) in 2012 to give undergraduates the freedom to be involved in politics, was enough to prove the government’s openness.

“The current Section 15 of the AUKU is now different from the previous one (before the amendment), where in the past students were not allowed to join political parties or express their support.

“If any action is taken against undergraduates, it is certainly because they have violated other laws, or regulations of their universities, and has nothing to do with their intention to engage in politics.”

Khairy said this in reply to a supplementary question from Datuk Takiyuddin Hassan (PAS-Kota Baru) in the Dewan Rakyat here, yesterday.

Takiyuddin wanted to know why action had been taken against a few students who engaged in politics.

He also asked whether the ministry intended to set an age limit for leaders of political parties’ youth wings to not more than 30 years, in line with Malaysia’s new Youth Policy.

To this, Khairy said his ministry had no power over it as all political organisations were under the Registrar of Societies’ jurisdiction, not the Registrar of Youth Societies.

However, he said, it was up to the parties’ leadership to do so because the basic principle was to produce more young leaders with calibre in the future.

Earlier, to the original question from Anuar Manap (BN-Sekijang), Khairy said the ministry would only implement the new definition of youth age in 2018 to ensure the preparedness of youth organisations.

Khairy said the ministry was targeting youth organisations undertaking the measure voluntarily to reach 50% next year, and increase to 80% in 2017 and 100% in 2018.

“That’s why we are conducting empowerment programmes for leaders who are still in their 20’s, before we make any amendments (to the related acts) to ensure acceptance at the grassroots level,” he said. – Bernama