KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 3 — The Housing and Local Government Ministry (KPKT) has stressed that no criminal elements or abuse of power was found in the implementation of the MyKiosk programme, based on the results of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s (MACC) investigation.
Deputy minister Datuk Aiman Athirah Sabu said the MACC launched the probe upon receiving complaints, and that the KPKT had handed over relevant documents to the MACC on May 22 as a sign of its transparency and integrity.
“The MACC investigation results announced on July 3 found no criminal elements or abuse of power. Instead, it only proposed several improvements in terms of governance,” she told the Dewan Negara today.
She was replying to a question from Senator Datuk Abdul Halim Suleiman about the results of the MACC’s probe into the governance of the MyKiosk initiative, as well as other MyKiosk implementation-related questions from Senator Nik Mohamad Abduh Nik Abdul Aziz and Senator Husin Ismail.
According to Aiman Athirah, for 2023, RM50 million was allocated to implement MyKiosk 1.0, involving 3,189 units at a cost of RM48.18 million; while for 2024, RM100 million was allotted for MyKiosk 2.0, involving 4.054 units worth RM98.75 million.
“The occupancy rate for MyKiosk 1.0 has reached 94.39 per cent, while that for MyKiosk 2.0 is at 89.07 per cent. As for the unoccupied units, factors such as location suitability, the lack of basic infrastructure and uncompleted sites have been identified as the main causes,” she said.
As such, she said a task force has been set up to study the locations and expedite occupancy, besides conducting integrated monitoring and joint engagements.
To enhance the implementation of MyKiosk, Aiman Athirah said the ministry has also introduced a monitoring system, based on the “traffic light” method, this year to evaluate the performance of local authorities by giving full marks as a form of encouragement.
She explained that the ceiling cost for one MyKiosk 1.0 unit is RM15,000, while that for one MyKiosk 2.0 unit is RM25,000 (with new specifications).
She added that the ministry also allowed PBTs to relocate the kiosks to more strategic locations in public areas, if necessary, since the MyKiosk has been designed to be mobile and to meet local requirements.
In reply to a supplementary question from Halim, who asked about the differences between the old and new version of MyKiosk, she said the latest model is equipped with 100W solar panels (previously 50W), powder-coated walls, fans, weatherproofing, and an increased coverage angle.
The increased cost of the latest model is in line with the enhanced specifications, Aiman Athirah added.
