Dapsy chief slams abandoned MYKiosk stalls in Miri as ‘policy failure'

Borneo Post

3 days ago

Hee stands between some of the kiosks at the Grand Oldlady, on top Canada Hill.
MIRI (June 9): Sarawak Democratic Action Party Socialist Youth (Dapsy) chief Peter Hee has condemned the prolonged abandonment of the MYKiosk programme in Miri as a serious failure of public policy and a betrayal of the government's pledge to support low-income communities.
He criticised the Miri City Council for allowing the initiative to fall into neglect, with most of the kiosks left unused and deteriorating for over two years.
Launched in 2022 as a joint federal-local government initiative, the programme saw the construction of 10 kiosks across Miri, including locations in Luak Bay and Canada Hill.
However, many now stand rusted and overgrown with weeds, having never been activated or allocated for use.
'This is a textbook case of poor execution and resource mismanagement. It's a waste of taxpayers' money, and a serious blow to public trust in the government's promise to alleviate poverty,' he said in a statement yesterday.
Hee blamed the programme's failure on a lack of planning and implementation by local authorities, highlighting several key issues: kiosks built in remote or low-traffic areas; the absence of basic infrastructure such as electricity and running water; and no clear operational framework to support hawkers.
'Even those willing to use the kiosks are unable to operate under these conditions,' he added.
He also raised concerns over the lack of transparency surrounding the application and allocation process.
He said hawkers have repeatedly tried to apply for the kiosks but were met with vague or dismissive responses from city officials, including statements such as 'no decision has been made'.
'There's no access to forms, no guidelines, no timelines. Many traders feel ignored and excluded,' he said, noting that several night market hawkers who approached Dapsy had attempted to express interest but were given the runaround.
As a result, many of these traders have continued operating without permits, risking enforcement action while the government-built kiosks sit idle.
Calling the situation unacceptable, Hee urged the council to issue an immediate status update on the MYKiosk project, demanding full disclosure of each kiosk's condition, location, and readiness for use, as well as a concrete implementation timeline and the launch of an open, transparent application process.
He also proposed that priority be given to long-standing or licensed hawkers and that quarterly updates are made public to ensure accountability.
'To many struggling families, one functioning kiosk could mean food on the table. If our city council can't even get that right, they have no moral ground to talk about development.'
He said Dapsy Sarawak would continue to monitor the issue and would not hesitate to raise the matter in the Sarawak State Assembly or Parliament if no meaningful progress is made. DAPSY lead Miri City Council MyKiosk Peter Hee