ANGKASA PRESIDENT TO LEAD M'SIAN DELEGATION TO ICA-AP IN SRI LANKA, MISSION TO DEFEND POSITION

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 25 (Bernama) -- The President of the National Co-operative Organisation of Malaysia Berhad (ANGKASA), Datuk Seri Dr Abdul Fattah Abdullah, is leading an 85-member Malaysian delegation to the 17th International Co-operative Alliance Asia and Pacific (ICA-AP) Regional Assembly 2025 in Colombo, Sri Lanka, from Nov 24 to 28.

ANGKASA said today that the delegation includes two agencies, namely the Co-operative Commission of Malaysia (SKM) and the Co-operative Institute of Malaysia (IKMa), as well as 13 co-operatives involved in various strategic sectors. This participation is a significant step towards expanding technical cooperation, policy formulation, and trade networking among Asia Pacific member countries.

According to the statement, the biennial assembly, organised by ICA-AP in collaboration with the National Co-operative Council of Sri Lanka (NCCSL) as the official host, gathers government representatives, co-operative leaders, policymakers, and academics from over 30 countries.

The Malaysian delegation is scheduled to participate in plenary sessions, policy dialogues, thematic seminars, and strategic discussions covering various aspects of co-operative development.

"Among the key events that the Malaysian delegation will attend are the 19th ICA-AP Research Conference, the Workshop for Young and New Researchers, the Roundtable Discussion organised by the Asia Pacific Co-operative Development Platform (APCDP), the ICA-AP Regional Board Meeting, and the Malaysian Business Office (MBO) Council Meeting, which is also held to coordinate issues concerning membership, fees, international relations, and the participation of member countries," the statement said.

ANGKASA stated that the Malaysian delegation will also be actively involved in the ICA-AP sectoral meetings, comprising the Agriculture and Environment Committee Meeting (ICAE), the Credit and Banking Committee Meeting, the Consumer Co-operation Committee Meeting, and the Youth Co-operators Committee Meeting (ICYC). All four sessions will also include the process for selecting the new committees for the next term.

In addition, the Women Committee Meeting, the Education Institutions Co-operatives Committee Meeting (ICEI), the Trade and Business Committee Meeting, and several thematic seminars will be held to strengthen policy sharing and technical cooperation among member countries.

The Malaysian delegation will also participate in several main sessions of the assembly, including the Joint Opening Ceremony of the 17th ICA-AP Regional Assembly and the 12th Co-operative Forum, the Opening Plenary Session themed "Cooperatives as Catalysts for Better Future," and three parallel discussion sessions related to co-operative finance, progressive policies, and co-operative branding.

The delegation is also scheduled to attend the Asia Pacific Cooperative Excellence Awards 2025 ceremony, which celebrates the achievements of outstanding co-operatives in the region.

Meanwhile, according to ANGKASA in the statement, the presence of Abdul Fattah also carries the important mission of defending his position as ICA-AP Vice President during the election session for ICA-AP Board Members on Nov 27.

The statement mentioned that since being elected as ICA-AP Vice President in the last election, Abdul Fattah has elevated the voice of the Malaysian co-operative movement through active participation in regional meetings and engagement sessions with member countries.

"He also plays a key role in shaping the direction of regional co-operatives, focusing on strengthening the governance of co-operative development, including youth and women's empowerment agendas," the statement added.

Abdul Fattah is also scheduled to attend several bilateral meetings with co-operative leaders from Asia Pacific countries to explore cooperation opportunities in various high-impact sectors such as modern agriculture, halal product development, community economy, and co-operative finance.

In the same statement, Abdul Fattah said Malaysia's participation in this conference is crucial to ensure that the voice of the Malaysian co-operative movement continues to be heard in regional policy formulation.

He stressed that Malaysia needs to play an active role because the Asia Pacific region is facing significant economic changes that require a more inclusive development model centered on the interests of the community.

-- BERNAMA