Higher Education Minister Idris Jusoh insists that his ministry is not responsible for debate champion Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman bieng blocked from speaking at several public universities recently.He said that his ministry has given autonomy to the 13 public universities and all directives were now internally driven and it was up to each institution to act as their autonomy permits.

"I know (Syed Saddiq being blocked from speaking). That is each university's prerogative. The 13 (public) universities have been given autonomy, as you all demanded.

"Thus it is the right of each university to decide who can enter and who cannot," he told reporters at the Parliament lobby today.

Asked to confirm if the restriction is not from his ministry, he said, "As I have said, they (the universities) have been given autonomy,"

Yesterday, Syed Saddiq in a statement said that he was being blocked from speaking in at least two universities – Uniten (Universiti Tenaga Nasional) and Usim (Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia).

He claimed that this had occurred after he signed the Citizens' Declaration calling for the removal of Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak from office via all legal means as well as for democratic reforms in all government institutions.