UiTM's board of directors were today urged to turn down the super-expensive UiTM hospital project to "safeguard the interests of the public".

PKR secretary-general Rafizi Ramli claimed that the government would have to fork out RM8.2 billion for the UiTM Hospital project at the Puncak Alam campus ( photo ), which he estimated should cost only RM599 million.

He also alleged that an Umno-linked company would be given the project.

However, UiTM has refuted Rafizi's claims, saying it has not signed any concession with any party to build the hospital, and his estimation of its cost was inaccurate.

Rafizi told a press conference at the Parliament lobby that the UiTM board of directors were meeting to consider the proposal brought by the Umno-linked company.

"I call upon every UiTM director, including the supreme Malay champion (and Perkasa chief) Ibrahim Ali, to turn down the project.

"It's the duty of the board of directors to act independently and safeguard the interest of the public, to reject the concession from being pushed down their throats," he said.

Rafizi also refuted Irmohizam Ibrahim (BN-Kuala Selangor) who denied the government will build an expensive hospital.

"I advise him to scrutinise the document relating to the privatisation project himself," he said, adding he himself had sighted the relevant documents.

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

The company, Rafizi had said on Tuesday, 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 same university.

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.