KUALA LUMPUR, Aug. 28 -- The Higher Education Ministry (MOHE) is taking immediate steps to expand students' freedom of expression and right to association, following Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's call for the repeal of the Universities and University Colleges Act 1971 (AUKU).

In a statement today, the ministry said Anwar had stressed during the 13th Malaysia Madani Scholars Forum that measures to give students greater freedom should be implemented immediately while a new legal framework is being developed, without waiting for the entire process of drafting a new law to be completed.

MOHE said it had reviewed measures that could be implemented under the existing legal framework to give effect to the prime minister's directive...