Bangkok: The National Co-operative Movement of Malaysia (ANGKASA) has shown its support for strengthening the involvement of the International Cooperative Alliance Asia and Pacific (ICA-AP) Board in regional committees and cooperative development initiatives. This effort aims to boost its role in policy decision-making at the Asia-Pacific level.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, ANGKASA's president, Datuk Seri Dr Abdul Fattah Abdullah, expressed this support during a recent ICA-AP meeting in Bangkok, Thailand. The meeting, chaired by ICA-AP president Dr Chandrapal Singh Yadav, focused on discussing the direction of cooperative development within the Asia-Pacific region. Abdul Fattah highlighted the need for the ICA-AP Board to actively expand membership outreach in their respective sub-regions and consider forming smaller membership clusters to enhance member participation in cooperative programs.

Abdul Fattah, also serving as ICA-AP vice-president, indicated that this initiative aligns with efforts to broaden the cooperative movement's involvement towards a more equitable and balanced economic structure. This can be achieved through formal and informal cooperation among member cooperatives across Asia-Pacific nations. He emphasized that strategic cooperation among cooperatives at the regional level would not only expand business opportunities but also fortify the role of cooperatives as a people-centred economic model aimed at generating real change through shared goals.

Furthermore, ANGKASA aims to reinforce its role as chair of the ICA-AP Business and Trade Committee to expand regional cooperative economic collaboration. Abdul Fattah noted that special attention would be given to developing tourism cooperatives and enhancing the marketing of cooperative products, aligning with the aspirations of Visit Malaysia 2026.

In his capacity as president of the ASEAN Cooperative Organisation (ACO), Abdul Fattah underscored the importance of continuous commitment to strengthening cooperative networks. This commitment is crucial to ensuring the cooperative movement remains relevant as a driver of the community's socio-economic development. He noted that this focus is consistent with ANGKASA's role as the apex body of the national cooperative movement, facilitating economic participation opportunities for 16,342 cooperatives under ANGKASA, which collectively boast a membership of 7.4 million.

During the meeting, ANGKASA group chief executive officer and ICA-AP Business and Trade Working Committee chairman, Datuk Abdullah Jusoh, presented progress on the committee's activities. These activities focus on three main areas: strategic meetings, participation in trade exhibitions, and capacity-building platforms to enhance market access for cooperative products. The meeting covered 11 main agenda items, including activity reports and updates on ICA-AP programs, financial and membership reports, contributions from the ICA-AP Women's and Youth Committees, updates on international cooperation programs, discussions on the ICA-AP Strategic Plan 2026-2030, and potential cooperative business collaborations in the Asia-Pacific region.

ICA-AP serves as the regional cooperative movement body under the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA), uniting 123 apex cooperative organizations from 29 countries across the Asia-Pacific.