The government is in the midst of awarding an Umno-linked businessperson RM8.2 billion for the construction of a hospital that costs just RM599 million, claimed Rafizi Ramli (PKR-Pandan) today.

The hospital in question, Rafizi told the Dewan Rakyat, is the proposed 'super hospital' at the Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Puncak Alam campus.

"Is it true that the government will award a hospital privatisation project at UiTM Puncak Alam to this company?

"The concession agreement involves building a hospital that costs RM599 million only. But through the agreement, the government will be forced to pay RM8.2 billion instead," he claimed.

Rafizi made the allegations while debating Budget 2016 in the House today.

Malaysiakini is withholding the name of the businessperson and his company pending an official response.

The company, Rafizi said, was also involved in the privatisation of UiTM Shah Alam.

He said the firm was also being sued by a contractor over a project at the university.

"However, I've heard whispers that the Finance Ministry has instead ordered UiTM, and not the company being sued, to pay the damages to the contractor," the PKR lawmaker said.

"If they can't handle a campus, what more a hospital touted as the most expensive and greatest hospital in Malaysia," he added.

The UiTM Puncak Alam hospital was announced in 2010, with UiTM vice- chancellor Sahol Hamid Abu Bakar claiming it would put the university on the world map.