Nga demands apology from MyKiosk 'white elephant' critics

• Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming: I demand, on behalf of KPKT staff who work tirelessly to serve the people, that those who have made baseless claims and slander come forward and apologise. The sacrifices of these civil servants must be acknowledged and not tarnished by unfounded allegations.

KUALA LUMPUR (July 22): Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming (pictured) has called on those who labelled the MyKiosk initiative is a "white elephant" project to apologise.

He said the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) investigation, which found no elements of corruption or abuse of power in the programme’s implementation, clearly demonstrated that the Housing and Local Government Ministry’s (KPKT) efforts to carry out government policies should not be subjected to unfounded accusations.

“KPKT took the initiative to invite MACC to conduct an investigation. It was not MACC that approached us. We went to MACC and submitted all the documents for review. MACC has since issued a statement confirming that there was no abuse of power, no criminal element, and no corruption involved,” he said.

“I demand, on behalf of KPKT staff who work tirelessly to serve the people, that those who have made baseless claims and slander come forward and apologise. The sacrifices of these civil servants must be acknowledged and not tarnished by unfounded allegations,” he said during a question-and-answer session in the Dewan Rakyat on Tuesday.

He was responding to a question from Onn Abu Bakar (PH-Batu Pahat), who had asked for the latest statistics on the implementation of the MyKiosk 2.0 programme and the status of the Batu Pahat Municipal Council Stadium upgrade project, including its scope of work, costs involved, and expected completion date.

Nga said the implementation of MyKiosk has shown encouraging results, with MyKiosk 1.0 achieving a 91.75% occupancy rate, while MyKiosk 2.0 has reached 86.78%. This success has positively transformed the lives of 7,243 hawkers and petty traders across the country.

He also highlighted success stories of MyKiosk traders, such as a hawker selling "ayam gunting" at the Melaka International Trade Centre (MITC) Square who now earns up to RM30,000 a month, as well as food and soymilk traders who have doubled their income to RM18,000 a month after joining the programme.

“This is a testament to the success of reforms aimed at helping hawkers. It proves that MyKiosk not only provides physical facilities but also serves as a catalyst for economic growth by creating sustainable business opportunities,” he said.

However, Nga acknowledged that there were some shortcomings in the programme’s earlier implementation. To address this, his ministry has introduced a "traffic light" evaluation system to monitor the performance of local authorities (PBTs).

Through this system, any PBT receiving a green rating will be categorised as having excellent performance and will receive increased allocations, while those with a yellow rating will have their allocations reviewed.

“If the light is red, the allocation will be cancelled, and the head of the PBT will be summoned by the local government department to receive a reprimand and provide an explanation for failing to implement government policies.

“We will continue to monitor to ensure that the well-being of the people, the welfare of hawkers, consumer comfort, and environmental sustainability are all prioritised under the Madani economy framework," he said.

Meanwhile, regarding the Batu Pahat Municipal Council Stadium upgrade project, Nga said the project is expected to commence early next year and be completed by the end of the same year.

He said the RM3.5 million project is currently in the process of appointing a consultant.

“The scope of work includes upgrading the field drainage system, resurfacing the field, and constructing a new running track,” he said.

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