KUSKOP Ready To Receive Cooperative Complaints, Ensure No One Is Left Behind - Ramanan

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 11 (Bernama) -- The Ministry of Entrepreneur and Cooperative Development (KUSKOP) is open to all parties, including Senators, to submit complaints and lists of cooperatives facing difficulties in obtaining assistance or grants, to ensure all applications are reviewed transparently and comprehensively.

Its Deputy Minister Datuk Seri R. Ramanan said the ministry guarantees that no community or small cooperative will be left behind in accessing government support.

“If there are cooperatives that truly have not received assistance or are facing problems in the disbursement process, I ask the Senator to submit the list to me.

“I will personally review it and provide clarification because we want to ensure cooperatives are not neglected,” he said when winding up the debate on the Supply Bill (Budget) 2026 for KUSKOP in the Dewan Negara today.

He was responding to an interjection from Senator Hussin Ismail, who highlighted community cooperatives struggling to access assistance due to small capital and limited management structures.

Ramanan said the move reflects the ministry’s commitment to improving the cooperative assistance system while strengthening cooperative governance.

He added that the Malaysian Cooperative Commission (SKM) provides various support schemes, including a collateral-free revolving capital fund of up to RM200,000 and matching grants of up to RM300,000, to boost community cooperative activities.

However, he said closer monitoring is being implemented to ensure funds are used responsibly.

“These funds belong to cooperative members, so we must ensure they are properly channelled and monitored. At the same time, we want to simplify processes so that new or community cooperatives are not hindered from growing,” he said.

Besides cooperative matters, Ramanan stressed that KUSKOP is enhancing the financing application process for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) through digitalisation, reduced documentation and shorter approval periods across all agencies.

He said Tabung Ekonomi Kumpulan Usaha Niaga (TEKUN) Nasional now requires only four documents and approves applications within seven working days, while Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia (AIM) has sped up financing approvals to 16 working days via its digital platform.

Meanwhile, SME Bank has introduced online applications, Bank Rakyat has reduced small and medium enterprise (SME) financing approval period to 14 days, Perbadanan Nasional Bhd (Pernas) uses an end-to-end digital financing system, and the Contractor Service Centre (PKK) has shortened approval times from 34 days to 26 days.

“Our focus is to ensure entrepreneurs and cooperatives receive assistance more quickly, more transparently, and without burdensome bureaucracy,” he said.

-- BERNAMA