JOHOR BAHRU, Sept 1 — The Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) will leave it to the students and management of Higher Education Institutions (IPT) to set guidelines on the organisation of any entertainment activity or concert at their institutions.
Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said the ministry is more focused on efforts to empower tertiary students so that the country’s IPT can produce quality graduates.
“I am more inclined towards tertiary students themselves setting and monitoring (the guidelines). So, no such guidelines (that have gone viral) will appear,” he told reporters after handing over letters of appointment to the chairmen of the Johor Community College Advisory Committee (JPENKK), here, today.
He was asked to comment on the proposed guidelines on entertainment activities at IPT by the Department of Higher Education (JPT) under MOHE which have gone viral on social media recently.
According to Mohamed Khaled, so far, JPT has not submitted any proposal on the relevant guidelines to him.
“JPT has not brought it to me. I don’t know how it (the guidelines) went viral…I haven’t studied (the guidelines). I want to have a look at it first and there is no time frame (to study the guidelines). It is semester break now, so no concerts,” he said.
The proposed guidelines that went viral on Facebook stated that the audience must be separated according to gender besides introducing a dress code and prohibiting clothing displaying symbols related to the Illuminati and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transexual (LGBT) groups.
On June 24, a public university in Terengganu was reportedly fined RM25,000 for organising a concert without the necessary permission.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was reported as saying that he would discuss the appropriate flexibility in the organisation of concerts at public IPT with MOHE.
On another development, Mohamed Khaled said the ministry and Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) are planning to offer a digital literacy programme to entrepreneurs in an effort to create more entrepreneurs with digital skills.
Earlier, Mohamed Khaled presented the appointment letters to 12 community leaders effective from July 1 until June 30, 2025. JPENKK is tasked to promote relationships and cooperation between community colleges and local communities.
He also handed over a replica of a cheque worth RM2.14 million to the Polytechnic Education and Community Colleges Department director-general Dr Mohd Zahari Ismail to mark the launching of the MADANI Community Lifelong Learning special programme at 105 community colleges nationwide.
