Kuala Lampur:Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir announced that Universiti Malaya (UM) will provide accommodation for more than 40,000 students through the Student Residential Hostel Project. This initiative is set to be launched by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on October 15.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the project is part of the government's strategy to accelerate the provision of student accommodation at public universities, addressing the rising demand for housing. The hostels will be constructed in stages, with a focus on immediately meeting basic needs.

Priority for accommodation will be given to students from low-income families, especially those from the B40 group who come from distant locations and cannot afford their own housing. The project aims to address accommodation needs rather than generate income.

UM Vice-Chancellor Datuk Seri Prof Dr Noor Azuan Abu Osman detailed that the project will be implemented in two phases, with the first phase accommodating 10,000 students and the second phase catering to 30,000 students.

In a separate development, Noor Azuan introduced ILMUcode, the first AI-based coding platform at UM. Developed with YTL AI Labs, it offers advanced coding capabilities at a reduced cost. This platform helps users understand, write, and modify code while resolving software development issues efficiently. UM is the first university in Malaysia to provide this next-generation AI coding access, strengthening the local AI talent pipeline.