KUALA LUMPUR, June 21 — The Dewan Negara has passed the Malaysia Cooperative Societies Commission (Amendment) Bill 2023 today.
It was passed after being tabled for the third reading by Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Minister Datuk Ewon Benedick.
The Bill aims to strengthen the supervisory body through restructuring and the creation of key positions. In this regard, he said the division of powers, appointments and reorganisation of positions will be implemented.
The position of executive chairman will be restructured into chief executive officer (CEO), while the deputy chairman will be changed to deputy CEO.
Two more deputy CEO positions will also be created, in addition to the new position of chairman of the board, four ex-officio members and six members of the board of directors (one has been appointed).
Ewon said the staffing that involves appointment by the minister related to the cooperatives sector is to ensure the main contributors and only those who deserve to be appointed cover every sector and region throughout the country.
“The board member who has already been appointed is the Cooperative Institute of Malaysia director-general (Datuk Mohd Ali Mansor), who is involved in the training sector of the cooperative movement.
“We will take into account the views of cooperatives in the country, whether in Sarawak, Sabah, Bumiputera and non-Bumiputera cooperatives, and movements that have been successful. We will also consider this,” he said when concluding the debate on the Bill.
Ewon said the amendment involving the Minister’s power to terminate appointments without reason is also to ensure that those appointed carry out their responsibilities as entrusted.
“If they are complacent and cannot carry out the trust, then we can terminate the appointment,” he said, adding the financial implications of the new appointments will also be examined.
— Bernama
