By Shikin Louis
KUCHING, July 18: The Kuching South City Council (MBKS) is calling on the public to support the newly launched MyKiosk stalls at the Tabuan Jaya Old Market parking lot (in front of Mayor Song Swee Guan Park), a community initiative aimed at uplifting B40 traders and transforming the informal sector through safe, clean and regulated trading spaces.
Launched under the MyKiosk programme by the Ministry of Housing and Local Government (KPKT), the initiative has seen 28 kiosks completed and allocated to selected traders, many of whom were previously operating as illegal hawkers or are from low-income households.
Looking ahead, two additional kiosks will be set up at Taman Sahabat, but operations there have yet to commence as MBKS is still in the process of selecting suitable traders.
MBKS Mayor Dato Wee Hong Seng said the project offers these small traders a dignified opportunity to sustain their livelihoods legally while enhancing the city’s image and public hygiene.
“We encourage residents in the surrounding areas to support these traders by patronising the MyKiosk stalls.
“Your support helps strengthen the livelihoods of those who need it most,” he told reporters during his visit to the site this morning.
The kiosks at Tabuan Jaya host a variety of offerings, including 14 stalls selling packed food, five offering drinks and fruit juices, and others selling fresh fruits and vegetables, making up a total of 28 kiosks. These stalls provide an ideal stop for nearby residents, office workers, joggers and families visiting the MBKS park.
Each kiosk is fully funded by the federal government under the MyKiosk programme, with traders enjoying six months of rent-free operation, followed by a highly subsidised rental of RM140 every quarter (every three months)—equivalent to less than RM2 a day.
To address parking concerns, MBKS has relocated the kiosks to a more suitable area with ample space and additional parking lots, ensuring easy access for patrons while minimising disruption to surrounding businesses.
Wee further stressed that MBKS follows proper procedures in awarding stalls and managing public resources, and urged all parties not to politicise the initiative or claim undue credit.
He also revealed that during his recent trip to Paris, he met with the KPKT Minister Nga Kor Ming and shared Kuching’s progress on the MyKiosk rollout, which may pave the way for more kiosks to be allocated to the city.
“The federal minister was very pleased and mentioned that if we perform well, they may provide us with more kiosks. That’s why your support is so important because it helps us show that this model works,” he said.
At the same time, Wee added that MBKS will monitor prices at its hawker centres and kiosks to ensure affordability remains a core principle.
“We don’t want a situation where subsidies only benefit the traders—we want the rakyat to benefit too.
“This is why, when you go to areas like Kenyalang or Bintawa, you can still get food for RM3 or RM3.50, and coffee for just over RM1. That’s the kind of impact we want to see,” he added.
Also present were MBKS deputy mayor Dato Zaiedi Suhaili and MyKiosk project organising chairperson Cr Judy Kho. – DayakDaily
