A recent survey by FMT revealed that the majority of food truck or canopy stall operators at both sites welcomed the MyKiosk programme, believing that the new stalls’ solar panels and sturdy design make them superior and more cost-effective than their current stalls.
However, they complained that they had never been approached by the authorities and that some of the stalls were in the wrong locations.
Alvan Adri, who sells bakso noodles from a food truck in Taman Alam Megah, said operating from a MyKiosk stall would lighten his workload as he could stop bringing home his equipment daily and setting them up again the next day.
The 35-year-old told FMT his storefront would also be tidier with more storage space available, as his cooking utensils are currently in full view of the customers.
However, he said, no authority has approached him regarding the programme, and he remains unsure about the application process.
Alvan pointed to a neglected MyKiosk site some 500m away from his bustling food stall area, expressing confusion over why the stalls are placed in a location that lacks visibility and foot traffic.
“I hope the city council can engage us and find out the best location for placing the MyKiosk stalls. If they set them up somewhere that cannot attract any customers, it becomes difficult for traders to do business,” he said.
Mahadi Che Muhammad, 36, a burger seller at the same site, shared the same concern, saying many MyKiosk stalls in Selangor appeared abandoned.
“It’s an attractive programme because the stalls have that ‘wow factor’, but the current placements of many stalls seem unstrategic. The authorities should set them up at places where traders are already operating,” he said.
A check by FMT revealed that 12 red-and-white MyKiosk units remained unoccupied at the said area. Local traders said they had been abandoned for nearly two years.
Azrin Hassan, a stallholder at Bukit Damansara, shared Alvan’s views, saying the MyKiosk stalls would enable traders to safely store their equipment after operating hours to reduce the risk of theft in the area.
The 44-year-old also said the unit’s solid structure would protect them from bad weather, citing a recent incident where fallen trees had destroyed several stalls and operators had to cover repair costs with their own money.
On Oct 2, Utusan Malaysia quoted housing and local government minister Nga Kor Ming as saying that 95% of the MyKiosk 2.0 units had been utilised as of September.
The programme had previously come under fire by MCA Youth for its allegedly low adoption rate, particularly in areas under the Shah Alam and Petaling Jaya city councils.
Launched in 2023, the objective of the MyKiosk initiative was to provide traders a safe and comfortable space to operate their businesses and to improve the image of roadside stalls.