The alleged ‘white elephant’ initiative is part of the government’s agenda to support grassroots entrepreneurs.
Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming has called on critics to apologise after the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) found no criminal elements in the RM150 million MyKiosk project.
Nga said the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development (KPKT) had proactively invited the MACC to investigate the initiative following various allegations, including claims that it was a “white elephant” and mismanaged.
“There were various allegations labelling this project a white elephant. Because of that, the KPKT took the initiative to invite the MACC to investigate.
“When the MACC didn’t come to us, we went to them and handed over all the documents for their review,” he said during a question-and-answer session in the Dewan Rakyat.
He added that the MACC later confirmed there was no abuse of power, no criminal activity, and no signs of corruption involved in the project.
“So to those who threw stones, don’t hide your hands. On behalf of all the hardworking KPKT staff who have been tirelessly helping the people, I demand that those who made slanderous accusations apologise,” Nga said.
He stressed that the MyKiosk initiative, which aims to provide standardised, low-cost business premises for small traders, remains a key government effort to support grassroots entrepreneurs.
In May, Bersatu information chief Datuk Tun Faisal Ismail Aziz had described the MyKiosk project as wasteful and labelled it a white elephant. Selangor MCA Youth also filed a complaint with the MACC, calling for an investigation into the project’s funding and implementation.
Its chief, Tan Jie Sen, questioned the low occupancy rate despite the substantial allocation.
Nga reported that, as of July 2025, MyKiosk had an occupancy rate of 91.75% (2,926 units), while MyKiosk 2.0 recorded 86.78% occupancy (3,518 units).