Cooperatives in Sarawak encouraged to open petrol stations along Pan Borneo Highway

KUCHING: The Cooperatives Commission of Malaysia (CCM) is encouraging cooperatives in Sarawak to open petrol stations along the Pan Borneo Highway.

Its deputy chief executive officer, Amran Abd Kadir said there were not many stations along the highway at present, especially in rural areas, compared to Federal Land Development Authority (Felda) areas, where there are almost 70 cooperative-owned Smart Stream brand stations.

“The cooperative movement in Sarawak should explore such things, take the opportunity,” he said during his speech at the launch of the Co-opbank Pertama Malaysia Berhad (CBP) Kuching II branch in Matang Jaya here today, adding that they have received only a single application from a cooperative in Bau that wished to purchase land along the highway to build a petrol station so far.

“We will bring this matter up at the meeting for the cooperation to build a oil palm ramp, R&R and a petrol station,” he said, stressing that the opening of petrol stations by cooperatives moving on will prove that cooperatives in the state were not only engaging in credit businesses only.

Currently there are 1,177 registered cooperatives in Sarawak and the opening of the CBP Kuching II branch cooperative, the third branch in the state, would add to the cooperative movement in Sarawak.

CBP chairman Datuk Baharom Embi also said that they planned to open another branch in Papar, Sabah in the second quarter of the year, and are lining up other branches in 2024, including in Jerteh, Terengganu; Batu Pahat, Johor; and Bangi, Selangor. - Bernama