Deputy youth minister: Dialogue between Higher Education Ministry and university student league to happen by May

MELAKA, April 18 — A dialogue session between the Higher Education Ministry (MOHE) and Liga Mahasiswa Malaysia (LMM) is expected to take place by May at the latest, its deputy minister, Adam Adli Abdul Halim said.

The organisation of the dialogue is at its final stages, including preparing a platform in the form of a roundtable discussion of periodic open session, to discuss issues relating to tertiary students.

“We are sorry to have taken a bit of time to ensure that it can be organised properly. Insya-Allah by May the latest, a more meaningful dialogue session can beheld, not just a ‘touch and go’ session,” he told reporters after attending a programme at the Hang Tuah Jaya parliamentary constituency service centre in Bukit Baru here today.

He said the dialogue was merely receiving and reading memoranda without further action, but will feature comprehensive discussions between various parties including university administrators, academics and students, adding that he wanted all voices to be really heard.

He stressed that it was equally important that discussions be followed by substantive action and the ministry would ensure every issue brought up is given proper attention, including those viewed as critical or opposed to the ministry’s stand.

“One thing we need to guarantee is agreeing to disagree. We can disagree, but the rights and voices of students must be ensured as they should be given a bigger role in the process of policy making,” he added.

Adam Adli said this effort had been planned since the first day he started his duties in the Madani Cabinet as an initiative to create a platform that provides room for tertiary students to act as a force of checks and balances. — Bernama