Taman melawati: In Taman Melawati, Ampang, Selangor, customers begin lining up outside a small kiosk well before its 5 pm weekday opening, eager to get their hands on salt bread, a Japanese pastry that has become hugely popular in South Korea. Within less than two hours of opening, every loaf available at Cikkiah Salt Bread is sold out, leaving many customers to head home disappointed. Its owner Nor Zakiah Abdullah, who is in her 40s, has been in the cake and pastry business for more than a decade and introduced salt bread in 2024.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the entrepreneur's salt bread became a bestseller after she began operating from a kiosk provided under the Ministry of Housing and Local Government's MyKiosk initiative. This federal government programme offers safe, standardised, and affordable business spaces for roadside traders and micro entrepreneurs, helping them transition from informal trading into licensed, sustainable businesses. Combining a home-based production center with a kiosk for sales has allowed Nor Zakiah to run her operations more systematically and keep costs under control.
Nor Zakiah explained that she previously operated on a much smaller scale, baking and selling her products from her home in Sentul and at the local market from a makeshift tent. The MyKiosk initiative has significantly improved her operational efficiency and daily takings. Compared to setting up a tent every day, operating from a kiosk in a conducive environment is much easier, she noted. The six-month rental waiver offered under the MyKiosk programme also gave her valuable time to build a customer base while laying the foundation for more sustainable growth. Her gross daily income has since increased, with average monthly sales now reaching about RM20,000.
Similarly, Rohana Salim, the owner of Ayam Gunting MITC at the MITC Hawker Centre in Melaka, has also benefited from the MyKiosk programme. According to Rohana, she has been recording more stable sales, ranging from approximately RM17,000 to RM20,000 per month, since joining the initiative. Her business, previously operated from a roadside tent, is now more stable with improved daily sales figures. She hopes for upgraded facilities at the MITC Hawker Centre to increase her income further.
At the policy level, the Ministry of Housing and Local Government (KPKT) sees MyKiosk as more than just a programme providing trading space. It helps license roadside vendors while offering a safer, more organised, and comfortable business environment in strategic locations. The initiative was first introduced in 2022 and officially launched in 2023 with an initial allocation of RM50 million to build about 3,000 kiosks. Expanded under MyKiosk 2.0 in 2024, the total number of kiosks nationwide now exceeds 7,000.
According to KPKT, a 2024 study found that MyKiosk traders operating in high-traffic locations recorded average income increases of at least RM500 per month. To establish a customer base, the ministry capped monthly rental at no more than RM300 and provided a six-month rental exemption. While the operators' products often go viral on social media, KPKT stressed that location remains the single most important factor behind a kiosk's performance.
Local authorities play a critical role in ensuring the programme's success. For the Ampang Jaya Municipal Council (MPAJ), MyKiosk forms part of a broader effort to restructure the urban micro business sector. MPAJ deputy president Hasrolnizam Shaari explained that the council evaluates several factors, including population density and customer accessibility, to select suitable trading locations. In Ampang Jaya, the programme has expanded steadily since its 2023 launch.
For the Hang Tuah Jaya Municipal Council (MPHTJ) in Melaka, the success of MyKiosk depends on providing business space and continually reviewing locations, operations, and facilities. MPHTJ president Datuk Sapiah Haron noted that kiosks situated near administrative centres and busy commuter routes consistently outperform those in less visible areas. The council has adapted the programme to better suit traders' operational needs and is seeking additional funding to upgrade facilities.
The success of MyKiosk is measured not only by higher incomes for traders but also by its ability to create safer, more organised commercial spaces. In a challenging micro business landscape, MyKiosk demonstrates how a government initiative can transform small-scale infrastructure into a catalyst for a more organised, resilient, and scalable business model.