Kuala lumpur: The Ministry of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives (KUSKOP) has outlined four key proposals to strengthen the role of cooperatives in the national economy, including addressing cost-of-living pressures and the impact of the global supply crisis. Its Minister, Steven Sim Chee Keong, stated that these proposals aim to expand the use of diesel and petrol subsidies to cooperatives involved in logistics, transportation, and rural economic activities. Vehicles such as pickup trucks, power generators, and passenger boats are included in this initiative. The proposal will be forwarded to the government for further consideration after being discussed in the National Cooperative Consultative Council (MPKK) Meeting, attended by KUSKOP secretary-general Datuk Seri Khairul Dzaimee Daud and other top management.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, KUSKOP also proposed increasing the participation of cooperative retail shops, or CoopMart, in the Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (SARA) Programme to provide easier access to essential items for rural communities. Currently, 240 cooperatives are part of SARA, with the ministry aiming to increase this number, supported by improvements in digital systems like point-of-sale (POS).
The third proposal involves launching a 'Business School in School' programme in June at selected secondary schools, offering early exposure to business and cooperatives. Students will earn merit points under the Physical Activity, Sports and Co-Curriculum Assessment (PAJSK) and receive certificates from Universiti Keusahawanan Koperasi Malaysia (UKKM).
Additionally, KUSKOP aims to expand cooperatives as self-collection centres for e-commerce platforms, with a target of 100 cooperatives collaborating with Shopee this year. This initiative is expected to strengthen cooperatives' involvement in the digital economy and generate additional income ranging from RM300 to RM1,000 monthly.
Sim also highlighted measures being formulated to activate a network of about 2,600 cooperative stores nationwide to help stabilize goods prices, with an announcement to be made soon.
In related developments, the Malaysian Cooperative Commission (SKM) signed three memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with Smart Stream Resources Sdn Bhd (SMART), Boustead Petroleum Marketing Sdn Bhd (BHPetrol), and Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) to enhance cooperatives' roles in the energy and palm oil sectors. SKM also signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with INCEIF University and ISRA Institute to develop a Syariah-compliant cooperative framework, i-CORES, with the Islamic Economics Research and Innovation Fund (IERIF).