DAP and its leaders should show leadership by example. They have advocated the CAT (competency, accountability, transparency) policy for so long and the rakyat have bought in. Now is the time to walk their talk.
Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming would be a hero to quit his portfolio in the name of accountability.
He can always return into the Cabinet in the next General Election (GE16). This is just a year or so away. This is a small sacrifice but a big leap for public accountability with DAP taking the lead. Ini kalilah!
The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s (MACC) findings on the MyKiosk initiative confirm what the public has long suspected: a serious failure of leadership, planning and accountability at the highest level of Nga’s Ministry.
Almost eight months have passed and I have even called out the impropriety of the Minister inviting the MACC chief commissioner for a tea session pending investigation.
Questionable initiatives
In a report by Free Malaysia Today (FMT), I have also raised, “Ti went on to question if a feasibility study was done before the project was rolled out, saying if one was carried out, Nga should reveal its details to show the accountability that he had promised.”
Finally, MACC had confirmed that the Ministry launched the MyKiosk project without conducting a proper needs assessment and without establishing clear outcome-monitoring mechanisms or key performance indicators (KPIs).
As a result, kiosks were poorly located, under-utilised and ultimately became a burden rather than a benefit to local communities.
A project meant to empower small traders instead turned into a white elephant, causing public inconvenience and wasting public resources.
This is not a minor administrative oversight. Needs assessment and impact evaluation are basic requirements of competent public governance.
When billions in public funds are at stake, failing to ask fundamental questions – who needs this, where should the kiosks be located or how will success be measured – is not just carelessness but smacks irresponsibility.
Crucially, the MyKiosk debacle does not exist in isolation. It adds to a growing record of questionable judgment and misplaced priorities, including the BMW (Clean, Attractive, Fragrant) toilet controversy and on-going public unease surrounding urban renewal and re-development (URA) initiatives.
Honourable resignation
Each episode has followed a similar pattern: tone-deaf decision-making, weak policy grounding and public backlash after the fact. Taken cumulatively, these incidents demonstrate not a one-off lapse, but a sustained deficiency in leadership competence.
Taken together, these episodes point to a consistent pattern: flashy announcements, weak planning and poor execution.
Ministers are not merely figureheads. They are entrusted with public funds, public trust and public welfare.
When a ministry repeatedly delivers projects that fail to meet objectives, attract negative audit findings and prompt governance recommendations from MACC itself, responsibility cannot be shifted downward to officers or local authorities alone. Political responsibility rests with the minister.
Resignation in such circumstances is not an admission of criminal guilt – it is an act of accountability. It signals respect for institutions, for taxpayers and for the principle that leadership carries consequences.
Continuing in office despite repeated governance failures risks normalising incompetence and eroding public confidence in government reforms.
Malaysia cannot afford governance by trial and error nor leadership that learns only after damage is done. The MyKiosk report should be a turning point. For the sake of public trust and institutional integrity, the Minister must take responsibility by stepping aside. – Feb 11, 2026
A lawyer by training, Datuk Seri Ti Lian Ker was a former MCA vice-president and ex-national unity deputy minister.
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia.
Main image credit: The Vibes/Malaysiakini
