An Umno-linked businessman, who used to be an senior state Umno leader, obtained the concession for the construction of the Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Puncak Alam campus through a company controlled by him and his family members, PKR alleged today.

In his third press conference on the UiTM concessions in a week, party strategist Rafizi Ramli said that the businessman owns at least 43 percent of the shares in the concession company, through himself and his family members, effectively making his family the largest shareholder.

Rafizi said the man’s family members own shares in the concession company through five other companies which also have links with the businessman personally.

Malaysiakini is withholding the name of the businessman pending a response, and has contacted his office to reply on the matter.

The Puncak Alam UiTM is one of six new UiTM campuses for which the construction was privatised through concession agreements by the government with six different companies.

The deal, which caused the original construction cost to final privatisation cost to balloon from RM1.8 billion to RM8.6 billion in the form of gradual rentals, has benefited mostly Umno and government-linked cronies, Rafizi had alleged previously.

He previously said that the Pasir Gudang and Seremban campuses had their concession agreements handed to companies also linked to an Umno state assemblyperson as well as an ex-minister’s brother, respectively.