Seminar at Marriot Hotel, Miri City

Co-operatives need diversification to spur economic growth (BB- 27/3/07)

Members of panel

Haji Ahmad of Koperasi PPMS

Captain (R) Haji Narawi of KPKST

BINA officials

BINA delegates

Pg Sharifuddin (3L) with

Datuk Samsu Baharun (Center)

BINA delegates

Co-operatives need diversities to spur economic growth

A seminar themed “Values and diversification spur co-operatives economy” was held on Friday (23/3/07) at Marriot Hotel, Miri City. It was organized by the Co-operative College of Malaysia (CCM) Sarawak branch, Ministry of Entrepreneur and Co-operative Development.

Some 32 officials from Brunei Industrial Development Authority (BINA) and 68 co-operative leaders and members representing 19 co-operative bodies in the sultanate attended the one day seminar. It was the third time Brunei Darussalam has been invited by CCM with the first two being held in May and July 2006 in the city. Brunei delegation was led by the Acting Director of BINA, Pg Sharifuddin Pg Hj Matali. The seminar began with a welcoming speech by the Deputy Director General of CCM, Haji Idris Ismail and followed later by an official opening by the Parliament Secretary, Ministry of Entrepreneur and Co-operative Development (MECD), Datuk Samsu Baharun Haji Abdul Rahman. In his speech, the recognition of co-operatives business as the third most important engine of growth after the public and private sectors in Malaysia should provide a tonic and an impetus for co-operators to intensify and diversify their business activities. To achieve the target, the Malaysian government has granted various incentives and infrastructures to develop their capabilities in a more conducive business environment. Henceforth, a mindset shift is inevitable and co-operators have to move towards a professional style of management in pursuit of a sustainable and competitive business development and growth, he added. The seminar, dubbed “Executive Talk” saw two papers being presented by Haji Mohd Marzuki Mohd Omar, Chairman of Koperasi ANIB Berhad entitled “Adoption of co-operative values in business: challenges and opportunities” while Osman Ismail, Assistant Director of Business Development, Sarawak’s Co-operative Development Department presenting his paper entitled “Business diversification facilitates current co-operative economic development”. It was moderated by Dr. Hjh Jamilah Din, the Director of Sarawak’s CCM.