KUCHING: Five cooperatives in Sarawak have been listed in the Top 100 Cooperatives Index of Malaysia, with revenues totalling RM93.5 million.
Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan said that the success demonstrates a very encouraging achievement and shows that cooperatives can also contribute to improving the socio-economic status of the local community.
“I would like to thank Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Ministry (KUSKOP) for their continued support of the Sarawak cooperative movement.
“This year, 17 cooperatives have been approved by Malaysia Cooperative Commission (SKM) to receive SKM Revolving Capital Fund financing with cooperative development assistance amounting to RM4.48 million.
“With this assistance, we are confident that cooperatives in Sarawak will be able to enhance their capacity and capability in cooperative management, which will subsequently allow them to improve the quality and reach of their products and services to the global market,” he said.
He said this in his speech when officiating at the state-level Cooperative Day Celebration at Plaza Merdeka here on Saturday.
Earlier, he said as of December 2023, a total of 1,190 cooperatives have been established with more than 313,000 members, generating revenues amounting to RM368.97 million.
Meanwhile, MP Batang Sadong Rodiyah Sapiee who is also the SKM Board of Directors member said that to enhance the understanding of “what is a cooperative” among the general public, outreach programmes are continuously intensified.
“The latest programme is the Cooperatives Popularisation Programme, or MASKOP for short. This programme serves as a platform to enhance understanding and publicise the services and products offered by the cooperative movement to the general public.
“It aims to strengthen the message of making cooperatives a cultural norm among all levels of society, making cooperatives a lifestyle choice in addressing the rising cost of living,” she said.
She also hoped that more individuals will become cooperative members and that more cooperatives will be established in Sarawak, especially among the B40 community, persons with disabilities (OKU), urban poor, rural communities, remote areas, and longhouses, to further improve the socio-economic status of the people through activities conducted by cooperatives, particularly in the field of food security.
