Collaboration between Ministries enhance services for target groups

6 March 2024

By Nabalu News Reporter

KOTA KINABALU: Cooperation between the Ministry of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperative (MEDC) and the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (MASF) create synergies and maximise the impact of their efforts in supporting farmers, promoting agricultural cooperatives, and driving rural development.

During the Engagement Session between Ministries MEDC Minister Datuk Ewon Benedick and the MASF Assistant Minister Datuk Arthur Kurup yesterday stilted towards this collaboration with a view of looking into utilising the services of both Ministries to empower the people towards self sufficiency and better life, in both entrepreneurships and farming.

In his speech, Ewon said they had personally met one another as the Unity Government was formed and they had discussed how best they could serve Malaysians in Sabah and it started with his visit to Pensiangan where Arthur was Member of Parliament (MP).   

At that time there was a presentation of funds for entrepreneurs in the Pensiangan Constituency represented by Arthur, he stated, adding that the Pensiangan MP also visited Penampang where Ewon is MP to presented assistance to farmers.

“The message that I want to send to the people is that we can work together beyond our Political Party and over the Ministries according to the needs of the people,” he said.

Ewon is the United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation (UPKO) President while Arthur is the President of Party Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS).

He emphasised the importance of party members assisting the Ministers in disseminating information regarding not only the party's objectives but also the functions of both ministries, along with the availability of assistance and services offered by these ministries.

“This assistance complements the role of the agencies’ under the Ministries in dissemination of information,” he said, adding that everyone plays a role in the dissemination of information for the good of the people.

According to him, during engagement sessions, briefings provide an opportunity for attendees to effectively disseminate all shared information, including details about the availability of assistance through the Ministries, to a wider audience. He also emphasised the importance of similarities between himself and Arthur when engaging with the public on such matters.

He emphasized that the sessions should not solely focus on party matters, but also on topics that aim to enable the people experience and enjoy the benefits provided by the Ministries dedicated to serving them.

He mentioned that they have explored programs that are tailored to meet the specific needs of the people, such as the Tamu Entrepreneurs Assistance under TEKUN and the Entrepreneur Scheme for Sabah and Sarawak through SME Corp.

“This year we are upgrading the sites for Tamu Markets in the rural areas in Sabah and Sarawak. We will also be introducing stimulus packages to cooperatives of tourism based entreprenuers many of whom are in Sabah to help them prepare for the Visit Malaysia Year in 2026,” he elaborated.

“We are also looking at poverty eradication for instance and all these can be achieved as long as we can stand together,” he said adding that in future he and Arthur will work closer in their collaborations, in every way.

Arthur expressed his belief that the collaboration between KUSKOP and MAFS can be continued.

He stated that this collaboration began last year when Ewon visited the Pensiangan area and assisted entrepreneurs there.

Arthur responded to that visit by conducting a visit to the Penampang Parliament to assist several modern farmers during his tenure at the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation.

Now, as he has been transferred to MAFS they once again discussed how to use their existing platform to meet the needs of the people through both ministries.

He sees this as a suitable collaboration between his ministry and MEDC where they focus on rural areas in the fields of agriculture and entrepreneurship, thereby helping them expand their markets with the support of both ministries.

Present during the engaging sessions were UPKO members and officials from MEDC’s ten agencies as well as PBRS members and officials from MASF agencies.