Ramanan calls on youths to participate in cooperative sector

PUTRAJAYA: Youths are urged to actively participate in the cooperative sector as it offers significant potential for them, said Deputy Entrepreneur and Cooperatives Development Minister Datuk R. Ramanan.

Through the cooperative sector, he said youths can strengthen their networking in various fields they are involved in, as well as establish connections with other countries.

According to him, Malaysia currently has 15,809 registered cooperatives with a membership of 7.2 million people.

"(Involvement in cooperatives) gives us (youths) an advantage because we gain networking opportunities and friendships from all cooperative members,” he told a press conference after launching the International Cooperative Conference 2024 (ICC 2024) here Wednesday (May 29).

Ramanan added that the introduction of the Universiti Keusahawanan Koperasi Malaysia (UKKM) under the Cooperative Institute of Malaysia (CIM) enables youths to understand the benefits of joining the cooperative sector.

"We need to ensure that youths venture into the cooperative sector... they need to be given training or briefings on the benefits of being in a cooperative," he said, adding that youth involvement will empower cooperatives in the country.

On ICC 2024, Ramanan said the conference provides an opportunity for all parties to present ideas and views that can drive the development of cooperatives.

"ICC 2024 opens the space for close collaboration among countries and ways to upgrade cooperatives in terms of working methods," he said.

Organised by CIM, ICC 2024 was attended by 178 delegates from various countries, including South Korea, Thailand, the Philippines, Australia, Brunei, Indonesia, and India. - Bernama