KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 15 2026, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has called for the Universiti Malaya (UM) Student Residence project to become a model of transparent and efficient development, stressing that public funds must be protected from wastage and leakages.
He said previous failures in project implementation, including cost overruns, delays and abandoned developments, had caused significant losses to the country and should serve as lessons for future projects.
Speaking at the project’s launch today, Anwar urged UM’s vice-chancellor to ensure that the development was managed with integrity, accountability and commitment.
The event was attended by Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir, Deputy Higher Education Minister Adam Adli Abd Halim, Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar and UM vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Seri Dr Noor Azuan Abu Osman.
Anwar emphasised that all parties involved must work together to ensure the project progresses smoothly and is completed as planned.
He also said financial leakages were the result of dishonest practices, rather than issues of race, region or social class, adding that such misconduct undermined the national interest.
The Prime Minister said he would personally monitor the project and wanted it completed before its original 2030 deadline to ease student accommodation shortages and address high rental costs near universities.
To speed up implementation, he said government agencies, government-linked companies (GLCs) and government-linked investment companies (GLICs) had been directed to give the project priority.
He reiterated the importance of accelerating construction to ensure students benefit from the new accommodation as soon as possible.
-BERNAMA
