Cooperatives encouraged to explore renewable energy sector

KUCHING (Jan 31): Malaysian Cooperative Institute (IKMa) is advocating for cooperatives to explore the renewable energy sector in order to invigorate their businesses, said Datuk Willie Mongin, a member of the institute’s board of directors.

The Puncak Borneo MP also emphasised the need to empower technological aspects in new business activities, particularly within cooperative leadership.

“I’ve observed that many cooperative leaders lack satisfactory management skills and some have limited exposure to leadership practices.

“Therefore, it is IKMa’s role and responsibility to provide guidance and mentorship, especially to cooperative leaders.

“This is so that they can embrace teachings and guidance to elevate the cooperatives they manage,” he said at the launch of the 2024 Cooperative Empowerment Programme (Maskop Madani) at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) yesterday.

Willie also highlighted the importance of leveraging on the renewable energy sector that cooperatives can benefit from.

“Malaysia is fortunate to have abundant resources and various business opportunities, not only in terms of agricultural product marketing but also in many unexplored sectors as well,” he added.

As a director of the Malaysian Cooperative Institute Sarawak Zone, Willie urged all cooperative members to enhance their knowledge to adapt to new technologies, strategic leadership approaches, and emerging businesses.

He said only then can they compete, not only locally but also internationally to become more competitive.

He noted that the Cooperative Empowerment Programme this year is an initiative by IKMa aimed at enhancing public understanding of the cooperatives’ role in community and national economic development.

“This programme can promote the advantages and uniqueness of cooperatives to the public and raise awareness about the services and products offered by agencies under the Ministry of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives (Medac),” he explained.

He further said this year’s approach involves targeted group meetings for planned programmes, enhancing engagement and effectiveness.

He commended IKMa for being always proactive in promoting and cultivating education and training programmes as well as guidance services in an effort to raise the image of the cooperative movement to a higher level.

“The Madani 2024 Cooperative Socialisation Programme (Maskop) for example is an IKMa initiative to increase community understanding of the role of cooperatives in developing the community and national economy.

“This programme can promote the advantages and privileges of cooperatives to the community as well as publicise the services and products offered by the agencies under the Ministry of Entrepreneurship and Cooperative Development (Kuskop).

“I hope that cooperatives throughout Malaysia, especially in Sarawak, can increase their efforts because the cooperatives that have registered are many, but the active ones are not that many.

“So, we (IKMa) should play a role in activating the activities and also the business of cooperatives so that it can help our society and country,” he said.

Also present during the event were IKMa deputy Director General (Human Capital Development) Mohd Zaib Yunus and Bank Rakyat Sarawak Business Banking manager Meor Muhammad Khalis Zulkifli.