It's Now Domestic Trade, Cooperative And Consumerism Ministry

June 11, 2009

KUANTAN, June 11 (Bernama) -- The Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry is now known as the Ministry of Domestic Trade, Cooperative and Consumerism.

Its minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob in announcing this Thursday, said the name change had been agreed by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and the cabinet at their weekly meeting.

"The change was effective immediately (Wednesday) and we will be using a new logo for the ministry. For this purpose, a logo designing competition will be organised soon," he said after the state-level launching of Koperasi Bela Rakyat (Kobera), here, Thursday.

Ismail Sabri said the name change was made because a number of cooperative related agencies which were previously under the Entrepreneur and Cooperative Development Ministry which was then abolished, now came under his ministry.

He said with the abolishment, agencies connected with entrepreneur development were placed under the International Trade and Industry Ministry, while agencies that came under his ministry included Perbadanan Nasional, Cooperative Commission of Malaysia, the Cooperative College and those related to franchising and the vendor sector.

On Kobera, Ismail Sabri said it was aimed at eradicating hardcore poverty and overall poverty by 2010.

"Up to May 31 this year, Kobera units had been established in 111 of the 576 state constituencies while 164 are in the process of being set up. In Pahang alone, 42 had been set up, seven registered while another seven are in the process."

He said to ensure they could start their operations, the government had agreed to allocate RM30,000 to each Kobera unit.

"However, they must submit their project plan to the Cooperative Commission of Malaysia and engage a professional manager whose salary for six months will be paid by the commission to help manage their cooperative."

Ismail Sabri said the government targeted the contribution of cooperatives to Gross Domestic Product to be five per cent or RM10 billion by 2012 from the current RM6.5 billion.