
Rashid said his mandate remained unclear and that the university needed further guidance from the government before it could proceed, Utusan Malaysia reported.

He added that the study would likely involve multiple disciplines, given the proposal’s broad implications for urban governance and administrative systems.
“The study is not only unfinished, it hasn’t even started. We need more details from the appointing party on what exactly they expect from our research,” he was quoted as saying at the IIUM Bubur Lambuk programme yesterday.
Federal territories minister Hannah Yeoh previously said that IIUM had been conducting the feasibility study since December 2025, dating back to when Dr Zaliha Mustafa helmed the ministry.
Yeoh also said that IIUM was a reputable institution, and its research was trustworthy.
However, Perikatan Nasional chief whip Takiyuddin Hassan questioned the decision to task IIUM with conducting the study, saying several other public universities already possessed expertise in the field.