Cooperatives urged to embark on digital revolution
KUCHING: Cooperators in Sarawak are urged to seriously embark on the digital revolution in running their respective co- operative so as not to be left behind in the Industrial Revolution 4.0 where all business transactions are online-based, and use electronic medium.
Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan said there are many companies that can collaborate with cooperatives to provide online business platforms.
Among them are the use of ‘emarket place’ such as Mudah, Lazada, and Amazon to promote their products.
“When online businesses are carried out systematically, it will definitely bring forth greater returns.
“For instance, Chinese ecommerce giant Alibaba recorded a growth rate of 68 per cent in 2017 from its online business,” he said in his text of speech read by Assistant Minister of Industries and Investment Malcolm Mussen Lamoh when opening the ‘Jaringan Strategik Jana Kekayaan Koperasi’ seminar organised by Cooperative College of Malaysia (MKM) Sarawak here on Monday.
As such, Awang Tengah called on co- operatives in Sarawak to work with others as a way to develop their businesses.
He said working through such collaboration would indirectly give a significant impact in generating income for co-operatives.
Awang Tengah, who is also Minister of Industrial and Entrepreneur Development, also told co-operatives to do away with the habit of waiting for financial aid and expertise from the government.
He said medium- sized cooperatives should merge in order to solve whatever problems they had.
He said such approach has long been practised in Japan, South Korea and India, with each cooperative contributing equal capital and expertise.
He said co-operatives could also assist in terms of marketing and collection of revenue from basic cooperatives.
“What is important in strategic cooperation is that there is a need for high commitment from both sides, and the sincerity to really help each other.”