Federal territories minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa said that around 17,000 civil servants required housing in Putrajaya, the nation’s administrative capital.

“The housing units we plan to build under the project will help address, at least in part, the shortage of government quarters for civil servants,” she said after attending a programme here today.

On Tuesday, Afnan urged the government to halt the project, citing growing national debt and the worsening economic situation.

Afnan, the Alor Setar MP, also questioned the returns that future generations would inherit, given the debt burden that projects like Kota Madani might leave behind.

Zaliha previously said that the Kota Madani project was expected to help civil servants working in the administrative capital save up to RM1,000 a month.

Developed by Putrajaya Holdings Sdn Bhd via a public-private partnership, the project is based on the build, lease, maintain and transfer concept and will not involve any government allocations in its initial phase.

Once complete, the RM4 billion Kota Madani will offer 10,000 high-density residential quarters for over 30,000 residents, vertical schools, and various public amenities.

Putrajaya will assume full ownership of the project after 25 years.