KOTA BELUD, The initiative to raise awareness of cooperatives among the community will be expanded nationwide through the organisation of more cooperative promotion programmes. Entrepreneur and Cooperatives Development Minister Datuk Ewon Benedick said these programmes are expected to broaden public understanding of the benefits of establishing cooperatives within the community. 'It also enables the community to cultivate a spirit of cooperation and provide necessary services to cooperative members,' he said in a statement after officiating a cooperative promotion programme for the Tamu Darat Zone, Kadamaian here today. Ewon, who is also the Kadamaian assemblyman, said the cooperative awareness programmes have had a positive impact, reflected in the increasing number of new cooperatives registered across the country. 'In 2023 alone, 1,001 new cooperatives were registered, marking the highest number ever recorded in a single year in Malaysia, compared to previous years, which never reached 1,000,' he said . Ewon said that given this encouraging response, his ministry plans to continue organising cooperative awareness programmes nationwide. 'The primary goal is not only to increase the number of new cooperatives but also to empower existing ones. This involves expanding cooperative businesses and services and reactivating dormant cooperatives,' he said. Source: BERNAMA News Agency