KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has pledged to personally oversee Universiti Malaya’s (UM) student housing project, rejecting its proposed 2030 completion timeline and warning that underperforming contractors would be replaced.
Anwar said the Residensi Siswa UM project, which will initially accommodate 10,000 students, would be expedited, with relevant ministries and Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) directed to accelerate approvals and implementation.
“The vice-chancellor said 2030. I said no. This is a new, efficient Madani government,” he said when launching the project at UM today.
He said his personal involvement was intended to ensure the development was completed ahead of schedule and served as a model for future student housing projects nationwide.
“You invited me here, and I thank you. But inviting me comes at a price.
“That price is that I will personally monitor its implementation to ensure it becomes a good example,” he said.
Anwar said the project would be prioritised at the next Cabinet meeting, where he would instruct the Finance Ministry, Higher Education Ministry, DBKL and other relevant agencies to expedite the necessary approvals.
The availability of university-owned land and financial support from government-linked investment companies would also help accelerate construction, he added.
However, Anwar stressed that contractors would be held accountable for their performance, warning that companies unable to demonstrate their ability to deliver efficiently would be replaced.
“God willing, this project will be completed ahead of schedule. Any company that proves incapable, we will replace,” he said.
He said contractors must demonstrate their capacity to fulfil their responsibilities, speed up construction and maintain satisfactory performance.
Anwar said the urgency of the project reflected the growing accommodation difficulties faced by students, particularly rising rental costs as some landlords near universities took advantage of housing shortages to increase rents.
He recalled facing similar housing challenges during his own university days but said the situation had become considerably more difficult for students today.
Beyond completing the project quickly, Anwar stressed that it must provide a comfortable and conducive living environment, with adequate facilities and thoughtful design rather than merely large buildings.
He also cautioned against corruption, cost overruns and poor management, citing instances in which government projects initially costing RM40 million could balloon to RM80 million before being abandoned.
Anwar said billions of ringgit in public funds had been wasted through leakages and weak management, warning against individuals seeking to profit from government contracts through improper commissions.
As part of efforts to strengthen accountability, he reiterated plans to disclose details of government projects from next year, once the necessary framework had been finalised. The information would include project costs, contractors and implementation schedules.
“We will publicise the student housing projects, how much they cost, who the contractors are and how long the implementation schedules are. All these will be listed so students and the public can evaluate them,” he said.
Anwar said the UM development would serve as the starting point for a broader student housing initiative, with Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) and Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin (UniSZA) identified for the next phase.