KUALA LUMPUR: The Housing and Local Government Ministry has stressed that no criminal elements or abuse of power were found in the MyKiosk Programme’s implementation, based on the results of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission's (MACC) investigation.
Its Deputy Minister Datuk Aiman Athirah Sabu said the MACC conducted the probe after receiving complaints and that the ministry had handed over all relevant documents to the MACC on May 22 as a sign of the ministry's 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 said at the oral question-and-answer session in the Dewan Negara on Wednesday (Sept 3).
She was responding to a question from Senator Datuk Abdul Halim Suleiman, who inquired about the results of the MACC's investigation into 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, a total of RM50mil was allocated for the implementation of MyKiosk 1.0, involving 3,189 units at a cost of RM48.18mil; while for 2024, RM100mil was allotted for MyKiosk 2.0, involving 4.054 units worth RM98.75mil.
"So far, the occupancy rate for MyKiosk 1.0 has reached 94.39%, while that for MyKiosk 2.0 is at the 89.07% level. 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 that a task force has been set up to scrutinise the locations and speed up occupancy, besides conducting integrated monitoring and joint engagement sessions.
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 (PBT) 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 Abdul Halim, who asked about the differences between the old and new version of MyKiosk, Aiman Athirah said the latest model is equipped with 100-watt solar panels (50 watts previously), powder-coated walls, a fan, a weatherproof waterproofing system and an increased coverage angle.
The increased cost of the latest model is in line with the enhanced specifications, she added. - Bernama
