PUTRAJAYA, June 26 – The Kota MADANI smart city project here is expected to help civil servants save up to RM1,000 a month in living costs, said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) Datuk Seri Dr Zaliha Mustafa.
She said that through this project, civil servants would be able to reside in government quarters at minimal cost, with salary deduction for housing totalling only around RM400 per month.
“Their children’s schools are nearby and accessible on foot. They can go to and return from school safely as the area is equipped with an advanced security system.
“Fuel costs can also be saved. So they can set aside money for the future,” she said in her speech at the launch of the Kota MADANI development project in Putrajaya’s Precinct 19, officiated by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today.
Dr Zaliha said the government is developing the MADANI concept grounded in reality, not merely as a slogan.
Responding to claims that the project would replace Putrajaya, Dr Zaliha clarified that Kota MADANI covers only 0.8 per cent of the entire area of Putrajaya and is a small part of a larger urban planning initiative.
“Putrajaya was built as a symbol of modern and planned administrative capital. Kota MADANI is a continuation and realisation of this vision, with emphasis on a liveable, inclusive, and secure ecosystem,” she said.
Kota MADANI is designed as a ‘walkable’ development with short distances between buildings, integrated with MADANI and CHASE principles — namely integrated development, pedestrian-friendly environments, artificial intelligence (AI) technology, and sustainable and inclusive growth.
According to Dr Zaliha, 10,000 units of quarters for civil servants will be built under the project to address the acute shortage currently faced.
“The actual need for quarters in Putrajaya is 35,000 units, but only 22,000 have been available over the past 20 years, with no increase in number. Currently, there are 17,000 applications on the waiting list,” she said.
She stressed that only under the MADANI Government, led by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, has this issue been taken seriously and concrete steps implemented for the welfare of civil servants.
Imagine the reality of a support group officer who has to rent a house at RM1,200 to RM1,500 a month, not to mention petrol costs of RM500. Kota MADANI will truly change their lives for the better,” she explained.
The Kota MADANI development project is a mega initiative based on a smart city concept that is both people- and environmentally friendly.
The RM4 billion project will be developed by Putrajaya Holdings Sdn Bhd (PjH) through a public-private partnership under the build, lease, maintain and transfer (BLMT) model, without utilising government funds at the initial stage.
Also present at the launch were Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar and Putrajaya Corporation (PPj) president Datuk Fadlun Mak Ujud.
