MELAKA: Angkatan Koperasi Kebangsaan Malaysia Berhad (Angkasa) is ready to assist government retirees, particularly retired armed forces personnel, in establishing cooperatives to create economic opportunities and boost their income.
Its president Datuk Seri Dr Abdul Fattah Abdullah said support would cover training, education, financial advice and access to new market opportunities through domestic and international networks.
He identified military services or facilities as potential business areas for former military personnel that the group has not yet ventured into.
“Retired military personnel possess extensive expertise in the defence sector and have the potential to become suppliers of military assets and services, including the maintenance of military trucks, tanks and artillery,“ he told reporters.
“Through these products and services, they can collaborate with the Defence Ministry and the government, which will benefit cooperative members.”
Abdul Fattah said cooperatives provide retired military personnel with a platform to generate income as not all receive generous pensions to support their livelihood.
He spoke after a presentation of essential items via the Projek Barang Asas initiative to members of the Malaysian Armed Forces Veterans Association Tangga Batu Branch.
Apart from the military sector, he said they can establish cooperatives in retail, modern agriculture, logistics, food production, community development, rural tourism and social entrepreneurship.
According to the Malaysian Cooperative Statistics Report released last year, retirees were registered in 173 cooperatives with total membership of 19,065.
These cooperatives recorded shares or fees amounting to RM11.2 million, with assets of RM60.84 million and revenue of RM12.99 million. – Bernama
