KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has directed government agencies to expedite the completion of the Universiti Malaya (UM) student residential project ahead of its proposed 2030 timeline.
He said the project was a priority for the government and that he would personally monitor its implementation to ensure it proceeded quickly and became a model for other universities.
“I have given the assurance that the entire government machinery understands this is a priority project that must be completed as quickly as possible.
“However, expediting the project must not come at the expense of quality, transparency or accountability,” he said at the project's launch ceremony on Thursday (Oct 15).
Anwar said he would raise the matter at the cabinet meeting on Friday (Oct 16) and direct the relevant ministries, departments and agencies to expedite the necessary approvals.
He said these include the Finance Ministry, Higher Education Ministry and Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL), which would be required to coordinate their efforts to ensure the project moves forward without unnecessary delays.
The development will be carried out in two phases, with a total planned capacity of up to 40,000 students.
The first phase is expected to be completed in 2030 and will provide accommodation for 10,000 students, while the second phase is planned to accommodate an additional 30,000 students.
The project, which involves collaboration between UM and government-linked investment companies (GLICs), aims to address the shortage of student accommodation and rising rental costs around universities.
Anwar said the initiative was necessary as the government could not rely solely on public funding to resolve the country's student housing challenges.
“GLICs had a responsibility to contribute to national development and public welfare alongside their commercial objectives,” he said.
Anwar also warned against cost overruns, abandoned projects and leakages in public spending, saying the university's residential project should set an example of clean and effective project management.
“We want to ensure that it is done in the most transparent and clean manner,” he said.
He also said that the development should reflect the human-centred values of Malaysia Madani, adding that students deserved suitable living conditions regardless of their financial backgrounds.
“The project is intended to serve as a model for similar developments at other universities, with Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) among the institutions that could be involved in subsequent phases,” he said.
Also present was UM vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Seri Dr Noor Azuan Abu Osman, who said that the residence will offer four categories of accommodation to cater to the diverse needs of students: 'Standard' (five rooms for 10 residents), 'Standard Premium' (three rooms for six residents), 'Apartment' (two rooms for three residents), and 'Studio' (for one resident).
Each accommodation category is also designed to include air-conditioning facilities to enhance student comfort.
