She said the studies would be carried out under the ministry’s transformation programme which will take into account the socio-economic data of the area.

“In future, the business premises will be constructed after a study has been done to determine that the community really needs it,” she said, Bernama reported.

“We should not be building Mara premises just for the sake of constructing them, but we want to build to help the entrepreneurs,” she told reporters after opening a Mara event at the Pontian Mara Arcade here today.

Rina had been asked what measures the ministry was taking to ensure that Mara malls or business premises in the country were well-received by the public, including traders.

This was because Mara business premises in some states were left bare with no traders.

Two weeks ago, the ministry told the Dewan Rakyat that Mara digital malls in Kuantan and Johor Baharu had been closed after tenants ceased operations because of poor sales and disproportionate operating costs.

The Kuantan maill closed in December 2018 and the one in Johor Baharu in February this year. the ministry said in a written reply to opposition leader Ismail Sabri Yaakob (BN-Bera).

The Mara Digital Mall in Kuala Lumpur was still in operation, with 11 lots and 16 kiosks involving 11 entrepreneurs, with annual sales totalling RM4,670,250 as of August this year.

However, the Mara digital mall in Shah Alam was discontinued on Aug 15, with ICT-related businesses run using only kiosks., the ministry said.