KOTA BELUD: Rural communities should leverage the cooperatives movement to drive economic development through tourism and agriculture sectors.
Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Minister Datuk Ewon Benedick explained that cooperatives serve as the best platform for rural entrepreneurship.
He stated that government support and aid would enable local communities to compete with major companies.
“We have more than 16,000 cooperatives in the country, including almost 2,000 in Sabah, with six of them in the Cooperatives Premier League,“ he said.
“This proves that cooperatives in Sabah can compete if given adequate chances and support,“ he added in a statement after officiating Koperasi Pelancongan Tagal Kampung Lingkubang Kota Belud Berhad’s Family Day.
He shared that he had visited the cooperative and approved 100,000 ringgit for various development projects after his appointment as minister.
This included 80,000 ringgit for upgrading a bridge, building a concrete pedestrian path and an arch, while 20,000 ringgit was used for an e-commerce site to promote the cooperative’s products.
Ewon praised Koperasi Pelancongan Tagal Kampung Lingkubang Kota Belud Berhad’s efforts in highlighting riverside recreational activities and tagal based fish conservation.
“I’m proud of the villagers’ initiatives in mobilising rural entrepreneurship and to develop economic potential through cooperatives,“ he said.
“I hope this cooperative continues to progress and inspire other cooperatives,“ he added.
He stated that his ministry, through the Cooperatives Commission of Malaysia, has introduced the Jejak Koperasi programme to strengthen the tourism sector cooperatives in conjunction with Visit Malaysia 2026.
“In Kadamaian, we focus on tourism and agriculture sectors so that it will be known as a major tourism destination besides Ranau,“ he said.
“Part of Mount Kinabalu is in Kadamaian and we want tourists who climb the mountain to stop by here,“ he added. – Bernama