Govt saves RM600 mil by building UiTM campuses through PFI

PUTRAJAYA: About RM600 million will be saved in the construction of six Universiti Technologi Mara (UiTM) campuses through the Private Finance Initiative (PFI).

The new campuses will be built in Pasir Gudang (Johor), Jasin (Melaka), Seremban 3 (Negri Sembilan), Samarahan (Sarawak), Puncak Alam (Selangor) and Tapah (Perak), said Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin.

He said RM100 million could be saved from the construction of each campus rather than through the conventional way which would cost the government RM400 million each.

"Although the projects will be built through the PFI, the progress will be monitored by the government to ensure they are completed as scheduled," he told reporters after witnessing the signing ceremony of an agreement between UiTM and concessionaires of the PFI campus projects here on May 4.

Mohamed Khaled said the agreement was the first cluster of PFI projects approved for campus projects and the concept would be the basis of the government and private sector cooperation.

"As such, it is important that the projects are successfully implemented," he said.

Six more UiTM campuses have been earmarked for Dengkil (Selangor), Pekan (Pahang), Mukah (Sarawak), Kapar (Selangor) and Rembau (Negeri Sembilan) under the 10th Malaysia Plan. -- Bernama