KANGAR: The establishment of mosque community cooperatives is seen as the best mechanism in efforts to strengthen Muslims’ economic standing while also serving as a hub for social unity and socio-economic development within the community, said Angkatan Koperasi Kebangsaan Malaysia Berhad (Angkasa) president Datuk Seri Dr Abdul Fattah Abdullah.
He said the mosque-based cooperatives can drive Syariah-compliant business activities, create job opportunities, and assist in the systematic and sustainable management of mosque assets.
“A mosque is more than just a place of worship as it is also a community hub with great potential for driving local economic development. Through cooperatives, resources such as capital, manpower, and ideas can be pooled to create business chains, including retail shops, catering services, and tourism. This in turn benefits the congregation members and the wider community,“ he said.
His speech text was read out by Angkasa board member Datuk Kamarudin Ismail at the launch of the mosque community cooperative establishment campaign here yesterday evening. The Raja Muda of Perlis Tuanku Syed Faizuddin Putra Jamalullail officiated the event.
Abdul Fattah said as of June 2024, a total of 577 mosque-based cooperatives had been established nationwide, with a membership of 47,832, adding that the accumulated share value or fees had reached RM15.96 million, with total assets of RM37.68 million.
“However, this figure represents only nine per cent of the total 6,828 mosques in Malaysia. In Perlis, only 15 mosque community cooperatives have been established compared to the 101 mosques in the state. This indicates its significant potential,“ he added.
Meanwhile, he said Angkasa is ready to provide full support to mosque-based cooperatives through various development and training programmes to ensure their management is conducted professionally.
“We also urge newly established mosque community cooperatives to become Angkasa members to accelerate the growth and development of cooperative businesses,“ he said.
He added that Angkasa is actively promoting the establishment of mosque-based cooperatives abroad, with two cooperatives already created in the Philippines.
“The next plan is to expand this initiative to other ASEAN countries. With a market potential of approximately 240 million Muslims in ASEAN, I believe cooperatives businesses can become more competitive through the regional halal trade network,“ he added.
