PUTRAJAYA: All aspects of the MyKiosk 2.0 project will be scrutinised to identify any elements of corruption, says the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).
Chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki told the media that the commission has received reports and documents on the project which is under the Housing and Local Government Ministry.
“We have a report lodged by MCA yesterday (May 21) and earlier today (May 22) the Housing and Local Government Ministry gave some documents. I give my assurance that if any instances of corruption are found we will investigate.
“As of now, what has been reported to us is based on social media. One thing I have to repeat is that we need to verify first and not jump to conclusions as we need to be fair to all sides,” he said, adding that no investigation paper has been opened yet.
Earlier in the morning, the MACC had received detailed reports on the project from Housing and Local Government Ministry officers led by its Local Government Department director-general Datuk Mohd Fadzli Mohd Kenali.
Accompanying Mohd Fadzli were the department’s general development division director Mas Midyawan Yahya, the minister’s special function officer David Tiang and press secretary Angie Hee.
Both Mohd Fadzli and Mas Midyawan were brought into the headquarters to submit the reports before they came out about 30 minutes later.
They acknowledged the media and posed for photos but did not respond to any queries.
It is learnt that the documents included detailed reports on both the MyKiosk 1.0 and MyKiosk 2.0 initiatives from 2023 and 2024.
In a statement issued later, the ministry said this gesture was spurred by complaints from various parties alleging possible irregularities in the project’s implementation.
“We believe that transparency is crucial in all government initiatives. Our actions today reflect our unwavering commitment to integrity and accountability,” the ministry said.
It also emphasised that all procurements and appointments for MyKiosk have been conducted through open and fair processes, involving 133 local authorities nationwide.
Additionally, it reiterated that any wrongdoing, including the abuse of power, would not be tolerated and would be addressed by legal procedures.
“We are determined to ensure that all programmes benefit the intended recipients, such as small traders, without any elements of misconduct,” it added.
On Wednesday, MCA Youth lodged a report with the MACC over the MyKiosk 2.0 project following criticism due to its costs compared to market alternatives.
Concerns about the project’s effectiveness have also been raised, with reports claiming that many kiosks remain unused due to impractical locations and inadequate facilities.
NGO Malaysia Corruption Watch called for an audit of the costs and implementation of MyKiosk 2.0.
Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming had previously stated that 87.74% or 2,798 units under the MyKiosk 1.0 initiative had been taken up, while for MyKiosk 2.0, 2,653 or 65.44% of units have been claimed.
Johor has 1,185 kiosks, the highest among all states.
Nga said MyKiosk 2.0 was introduced following the overwhelming response to MyKiosk 1.0, with the newer versions having improvements like solar panels and environmentally-friendly batteries that last for up to 12 hours.
