IKMA FOCUSES ON DIGITALISATION OF COOPERATIVES TO ENHANCE THEIR CAPABILITIES

PUTRAJAYA, May 29 (Bernama) -- The Co-operative Institute of Malaysia (IKMa) is focusing on digitalising cooperatives to enhance their capabilities and contribute to the nation's economic development.

IKMa's director-general, Datuk Mohd Ali Mansor, stated that several programmes are being developed to facilitate the digitalisation of cooperatives in line with the Malaysian Cooperative Policy 2030 (DaKoM 2030) and the Cooperative Digitalisation Action Plan 2030 (DigiKOP 2030).

"This year, we aim to train 50 cooperatives to undergo digital transformation. This will enhance their capabilities, which is our target for future cooperative development," he said.

He was speaking to reporters after the International Cooperative Conference 2024 (ICC 2024) held here today, which was launched by Deputy Minister of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives, Datuk R. Ramanan.

When asked about the challenges in the digitalisation process, Mohd Ali highlighted issues such as the lack of involvement by young people and inactive and dormant cooperatives.

"We are facing challenges in attracting young people, but we have plans to empower their involvement, besides dealing with the issue of inactive cooperatives. 

"Nearly 50 percent of the approximately 16,000 cooperatives are inactive, and efforts are underway to ensure continuous registration and activity," he added.

Mohd Ali stated that IKMa, together with the Malaysian Cooperative Commission and the National Cooperative Movement of Malaysia Berhad (ANGKASA), will strive to enhance the cooperative movement in the country. 

IKMa also regularly meets with cooperative board members to provide an understanding of basic cooperative management and offers related management courses, he said.

Regarding ICC 2024, he noted that the conference serves as a new platform introduced by IKMa aimed at expanding and globalising the cooperative sector in the country.

"This conference is held biennially to align with the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) conference schedule, and after this, we hope for greater participation from foreign countries.

"This conference aims to ensure that cooperatives in Malaysia can benefit from international cooperation," he said.

Organised by IKMa, the ICC 2024 was attended by 178 representatives from various countries including Korea, Thailand, the Philippines, Australia, Brunei, Indonesia, and India.

IKMa is an institution under the Ministry of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives tasked with advancing the cooperative sector through training, research, and development.

-- BERNAMA