KUCHING: Four cooperatives from Sarawak have earned a spot among the top 100 in the country.
Works Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi who made the disclosure said as of December 31 last year, Sarawak had registered a total of 1,159 cooperatives with a combined membership of 310,125 individuals.
Nanta, who is Kapit MP, singled out the Song Cooperative, expressing pride that it ranked 21st among the list of best cooperatives in Sarawak.
“There are 15,315 registered cooperatives nationwide, boasting a collective membership of 7.31 million people.
“The cooperative sector, which has been in operation for a century, continues to be a driving force behind the socio-economic transformation of the nation,” he said in a Facebook post.
On Saturday (Nov 4), Nanta and Kapit dwellers came together for a dinner hosted for the Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Ministry agencies with cooperative leaders from Kapit Division, where they discussed strategies to strengthen cooperatives in remote areas.
During the event, Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Minister Datuk Ewon Benedick presented development grant of RM288,000 to six cooperatives in the Kapit Division.
According to Ewon, the Cooperative Commission of Malaysia (SKM) awarded the grant to Koperasi Song Kapit Berhad, Koperasi Komuniti Nanga Mukeh Song Kapit Bhd, Koperasi Sungai Teliai Kapit Berhad, Koperasi Semut Kapit, Koperasi Sungai Tisa Yong Kapit, and Koperasi Usahawan Bumiputera Kapit Bhd.
“In addition to the grant, cooperatives can also apply for financing from SKM or Bank Rakyat to expand their business activities,” said Ewon.
Towards this end, Nanta encouraged the recipients to utilise these funds and opportunities to enhance their income and support the local community.
