KUCHING: Cooperatives in the state were told to diversify their businesses in order to grab the many business opportunities brought on by Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE).

VISITORS FROM BRUNEI: Naroden (second left exchanges gifts with seminar participants from Brunei, represented by Dr Tudin Ahad.

Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister’s Department (Bumiputera Entrepreneurs Development) Naroden Majais yesterday said the state authorities and their Kuala Lumpur counterparts in the Ministry of Entrepreneur and Cooperatives Development (MECD) were ready to assist the cooperatives.

“In fact, we in Sarawak and those in MECD are working together to identify the ‘sleeping’ cooperatives and reach out to them so that they will not remain dormant, and thus able to benefit from the economic spin-offs brought on by SCORE,” he told reporters after the closing a seminar on cooperatives organised by Maktab Kerjasama Malaysia, Sarawak Branch here yesterday.

Naroden, who is also Assistant Minister of Planning and Resources Management, also pointed out that the cooperatives must upgrade themselves in order to remain relevant and competent in the new business opportunities.

“New housing and industrial areas will open up in SCORE. This is the opportunity for the local co-ops to venture into new businesses such as retail outlets or service outlets as in repairing and selling handphones, laundry services, auto repair etc.

“But to do this, these cooperatives must first upgrade their skills and capacity. We in the government can provide funds and also training courses for them to be able to achieve this,” he said.

Earlier in his speech, Naroden said foreign and domestic investors were expected to pump in RM300 billion worth of investments in the regional development corridor, which is mainly concentrated in the state’s central region.

He added that many workers from outside Sarawak would come to work in the state following the 1.6 million employment opportunities expected to be generated by SCORE.

“Action plan has been laid down by the Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Ministry (in Kuala Lumpur) to help people in Sarawak to grab opportunities brought on by SCORE. The ministry and the relevant agencies are also pooling resources to create a business environment that is conducive.

“Do not let such opportunities, which are laid out in front of you, pass you by. Grab these opportunities without hesitation or else others will take them if you are too late,” he said.

Likening the business opportunities to a cake, he said it would be very fulfilling if this delicious cake was shared and savoured amongst Sarawakians.

“As such, the cooperative movement must be reformed so that it can be transformed from a traditional-based business organisation to a dynamic organisation that moves along with the changing times and diversification of business activities, instead of just focusing on one,” he said.

More than 230 participants, including those specially invited from Brunei, took part in the two-day seminar themed ‘Cooperatives Reformations Into Becoming The Catalyst For Producing Cooperative Entrepreneurs’.

The seminar was also held in conjunction with the 10th anniversary of Maktab Kerjasama Malaysia’s operations in Sarawak.

There are currently 454 cooperatives in Sarawak with 28,000 members.