Three Universiti Malaya student groups have urged Education Minister Maszlee Malik to reinstate university student unions which were banned in 1974 as part of education reform efforts since then.

The groups said the university student affairs division, better known by its acronym Hepa, had now taken over the roles that were once the domain of the student unions.

"We hope to restore student unions and their right (for students) to supervise and manage their own affairs and welfare in the university," said the groups in a joint statement today.

The groups are Angkatan Mahasiswa, Demokrat UM and UM Association of New Youth (Umany) who have formed a coalition to demand that the students be consulted over the abolishment of the University and University Colleges Act 1971 (UUCA).

Pakatan Harapan has promised to abolish the UUCA which has long been criticised for curtailing academic freedom. Ironically, Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad was the education minister in 1974 when some of the most controversial amendments to the UUCA were made.

Meanwhile, the groups also pledged to lobby the government to ensure that universities enjoy autonomy and that ministers will no longer have to power to decide on important appointments such as the position of vice-chancellors or deputy vice-chancellors.

The groups said that their demands would be submitted to the education minister soon.