New Cooperative Bill To Be Tabled In Parliament In December - Ewon

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 4 (Bernama) – The new Cooperative Bill is now in its final drafting stage and is expected to be tabled in Parliament this December, said Entrepreneur and Cooperatives Development Minister Datuk Ewon Benedick.

He said the Bill will replace the Cooperative Societies Act 1993 (Act 502) to better meet current needs and support the aspirations for the development of Malaysia’s cooperative movement.

According to him, the ministry and the Cooperative Societies Commission have held 23 engagement sessions with various stakeholders, including government agencies, premier cooperatives, federations, ANGKASA, universities, and representatives from the state administrations of Sabah, Penang, Johor, Pahang, and Sarawak.

“The ministry is targeting the gazettement of the new Cooperative Act in June 2026, with enforcement expected in November or December that same year,” he said in his speech the National Cooperative Consultative Council (MPKK) meeting here today.

He added that the cooperative sector will not be sidelined in the country’s financial planning, including in the preparation of Budget 2026, which is scheduled to be tabled in October.

“For me, it is important that the cooperative movement voices its input and budget proposals from a cooperative perspective to ensure the sector is not left out in Budget 2026,” he said.

On the meeting, Ewon said it serves as a strategic platform for the cooperative movement to share views and proposals with the government ahead of budget formulation.

He also shared the success of the 2025 National Cooperative Day (HKN’25), held from July 25 to 27 in Melaka, which attracted over 58,000 visitors, exceeding the initial target of 50,000.

“The programme recorded nearly RM1.1 million in cooperative and entrepreneur sales, with a potential sales value estimated at RM22 million. This proves that cooperatives and entrepreneurs are gaining significant economic impact through HKN’25,” he said.

-- BERNAMA