THE controversial 2007 plan to develop a parcel of land at the Universiti Malaya main campus in Petaling Jaya for a commercial housing project has been scrapped.

The 11.1ha plot of land, which was to have been developed into condominiums and villas in a gated community, has been saved for future generations.

Universiti Malaya vice-chancellor Professor Datuk Dr Ghauth Jasmon told Malay Mail yesterday the plan had been called off.

When met outside his office after UM’s convocation ceremony, he did not elaborate when the plan was cancelled or who had directed it to be called off.

Asked about the university’s plans for the undeveloped plot of land, Ghauth said it would not be sold. “The land is for the future generations.We have no plan to sell it or develop it.”

Malay Mail had earlier learnt that the project to develop the land had been cancelled. It is not certain who had made the call and Malay Mail was unable to get any comment from Glomac Bhd group managing director and chief executive officer Datuk Fateh Iskandar Mohamed Mansor.

Glomac is part of the PPC-Mint-Glomac consortium named in 2007 by the university as the entity appointed to undertake the controversial project.

Then UM vice-chancellor Datuk Rafiah Salim had said the university’s board of directors and the university had sought the government’s approval on Jan 25, 2008, for the development project.

Project proposed in 2007

REPORTS of a commercial plan to develop the plot of Universiti Malaya land came to light in 2007.A news report said GuocoLand (Malaysia) Bhd, a property developer controlled by Tan Sri Quek Leng Chan, had made a bid to relocate Universiti Malaya from Petaling Jaya to Sepang.

The bid could have yielded a RM10 billion project to complement GuocoLand’s planned RM1.2 billion Damansara City development and UM would be offered part of the property giant’s 4,860-hectare land bank in Sepang.

GuocoLand officials and a Hong Leong group spokesman declined comment on the plan and Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi — who was then the Prime Minister — quashed these rumours, saying that the university’s campus had historical significance.

In February 2008, UM announced a plan had been submitted to the Ministry of Higher Education on Jan 25 the previous year to develop Lot 10476 — a 11.1ha piece of underutilised land on its 360ha campus.

Upon completion of the project, UM would reportedly receive a minimum income of RM312 million or the land value of RM200 million plus a share of the developer’s profit, whichever is higher.

It was also revealed by then vice-chancellor Datuk Rafiah Salim that the university’s board of directors (UMBD) had appointed Colliers International Property Consultants Sdn Bhd in 2007 to conduct an independent assessment on this proposal —in line with the government’s plan for public universities to be financially independent.

Colliers invited eight developers to submit proposals for the development but only five did. Three were shortlisted and two, which made their presentations to UM on Sept 27, 2007, were appointed to undertake their project in the form of the PPC-Mint-Glomac consortium.

The consortium, in another presentation on Oct 9, 2007, said the proposed University of Malaya Alumni Association (Paum) clubhouse and the Palapes (Reserve Officer Training Unit) camp would also be on the land to be developed.

On Dec 13, 2007, UMBD said that, subject to agreement by Paum, the site for the building of Paum’s clubhouse and the Palapes camp would be relocated to sites identified by UM.

While the plan may have been aimed to boost the university’s revenues, it also stirred up a huge controversy
— drawing wide criticism from scholars, politicians and bloggers who disagreed with the proposal.

While UM tried to allay the backlash by giving assurances the development would be conducted in a transparent manner, with decisions made to be based on independent professional advice, the proposal has remained on the backburner all this while.

Nation's first varsity

UNIVERSITI Malaya, the country’s oldest university, has its main campus stretching from Bangsar in Kuala Lumpur to Petaling Jaya.

It was established in Singapore in 1949 with the merger of the King Edward VII College of Medicine (founded in 1905) and Raffles College (founded in 1928).

The Carr-Saunders Commission, which recommended the setting up of the university, noted in its 1948 report: “The University of Malaya would provide for the first time a common centre where varieties of race, religion and economic interest could mingle in joint endeavour. The university must inevitably realise that it is a university for Malaya."

The growth of the university was very rapid during the first decade of its establishment and this resulted in the setting up of two autonomous divisions in 1959, one located in Singapore and the other in Kuala Lumpur.

The 360ha Kuala Lumpur division of UM was opened in Pantai Valley — off the new Kuala Lumpur-Petaling Jaya road on June 18 that year.

In 1960, the status of the two divisions was proposed to be changed into distinct national universities and such legislation was passed in 1961. The University of Malaya was formally established on Jan 1, 1962.

On June 16, 1962, University of Malaya celebrated the installation of its first chancellor, Tunku Abdul Rahman, who was also the country’s first Prime Minister.The first vice-chancellor was Professor Oppenheim, a world-renowned mathematician.

Currently, the Sultan of Perak Sultan Azlan Shah is the UM chancellor. Professor Datuk Dr Ghauth Jasmon was appointed the 10th vice-chancellor on Nov 8 last year.

The university now has more than 27,000 students and 1,700 academic staff with 17 faculties and research centres that cover the whole spectrum of learning in the arts, sciences and humanities.