ANGKASA, the national apex for Malaysia’s co-op sector, hopes to see around 3,000 retail co-ops upgrade their business to digital operating systems by the end of the year.
Abdul Fattah Abdullah, president of the organisation, said digital business tools such as e-commerce co-ops keep running and avoid more severe losses from the Covid-19 pandemic. Since the middle of last year, 500 retail co-ops ahve moved to digital platforms to improve sales.
“We strongly encourage as many retail cooperatives as possible to market, promote their products and conduct transactions through digital platforms, as this is the best medium at the moment, to avoid face-to-face interaction,” he said.
“For the co-operatives operating through digital platforms, ANGKASA is providing an advance facility worth RM10,000 for them to buy goods from suppliers, which they have to repay in the following month.”
The ANGKASA president has also presented donations under the apex’s BA100 project – set up to offer 100 basic necessity items at a discount – to 50 single mothers. He encouraged single mothers to get actively involved in the co-op movement to benefit from the resilience it offers during times of crisis.
According to figures from Malaysia Cooperative Commission, recorded in December 202, there are 27 co-ops related to single mothers, involving 1,393 members.
