Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin should open the Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) campus concessions agreements for public scrutiny if he feels critics do not "understand" its benefits.

PKR director of strategy Rafizi Ramli ( left ) issued the challenge today after Muhyiddin brushed off Rafizi’s criticism of the contracts for being overblown in costs and given to cronies.

Both Muhyiddin and UiTM have not addressed Rafizi's claims of abuse, except to harp on the fact that the contracts are a "private finance initiative” (PFI) that will be vaguely "beneficial" to the government university.

"I am tickled with Muhyiddin's statement that I do not understand the concept of 'private finance initiatives' that he says will bring plenty of benefits to UiTM.

"Therefore, to ensure I and the ordinary people don't misunderstand and can appreciate the validity of the BN government in privatising the UiTM campuses through PFI, I call on Muhyiddin to disclose the concessionaire agreements... to the public," Rafizi said.

Turning the tables, the MP for Pandan said the deputy prime minister and the cabinet were the ones who failed to understand the points he raised over the UiTM deal.

"I am not criticising wholesale the benefits that PFI can bring to government projects, but that it must be done in a transparent manner that benefits the people," he said.

Three key issues, Rafizi said, were:

1. Lack of open tenders and awarding of the contracts for all six campuses through direct negotiations with Umno leaders, "who may later appoint sub-contractors to complete the projects";

2. Why the rentals and annual payments to be borne by UiTM were five times more than the cost of building the campuses; and

3. What the profit margin for the concessionaires are projected to be.

Rafizi also asked whether Muhyiddin could ensure the people that the contracts would not unfairly give the concessionaire excessive profits, "just as what has happened with the concession contracts in the past, involving the privatisation of water projects and highways".

He added: "If Muhyiddin won't reveal the agreements, when will I or the people ever understand why the federal government signs agreements that will burden UiTM in costs, to the point that it would have been cheaper for the university to build the campuses itself."

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