Over 50,000 Visitors Expected To Enliven HKN 2025 In Melaka

MELAKA, July 5 (Bernama) -- More than 50,000 visitors from within and outside Melaka are expected to enliven Hari Koperasi Negara (HKN) 2025 to be held at the Melaka International Trade Centre (MITC) in Ayer Keroh here from July 25 to 27.

Malaysian Cooperatives Commission (SKM) chairman Lt Gen (Rtd) Datuk Ahmad Norihan Jalal said the HKN 2025 celebration, themed 'Cooperatives Driving the MADANI Economy,' will involve the opening of 200 booths featuring various categories of cooperatives, agencies, ministries and traders.

He said various interesting events and activities await visitors, and the HKN 2025 launch is expected to be officiated by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on July 27.

"HKN is being organised to introduce to the public the movement, role, or function of cooperatives in this country, thereby attracting their interest so that more cooperatives can be established in the future.

"Currently, we have 16,284 cooperatives from micro to premier cooperatives, with approximately 7.22 million members," he said to reporters at the A Famosa, Banda Hilir here today.

He said this after the pre-launch ceremony of HKN 2025, which was also attended by the Melaka Entrepreneur, Cooperatives Development and Consumer Affairs Committee chairman Allex Seah Shoo Chin.

Elaborating further, Ahmad Norihan said the establishment of cooperatives is one of the community initiatives to improve their economic status through various economic activities that have the potential to be driven, thereby eradicating poverty.

He said that among the target groups seen as having the potential to establish cooperatives are rural communities, women's communities, the Orang Asli, Felda settlers, former military personnel as well as the police.

Meanwhile, Seah said Melaka is a small state but the number of cooperatives in the state is seen to be increasing from year to year, and the state government through the SKM welcomes and is ready to assist communities that wish to establish their own cooperatives.

"Last year, over 400 cooperatives were recorded in Melaka and that number has now exceeded 500 cooperatives," he also said.

The HKN 2025 pre-launch ceremony involved the release of 20 trishaws carrying Ahmad Norihan, Seah, and other distinguished guests to the Melaka Quayside Jetty to board two water taxis.

All trishaws and water taxis also carry promotional materials and publicity related to the organisation of HKN 2025 in efforts to spread the word to the community.

-- BERNAMA