BINTULU – A youth-focused forum held at Universiti Putra Malaysia Sarawak (UPMS) in Bintulu highlighted the potential of cooperatives as a vehicle for income generation and longer-term economic participation among young people.
The event, part of the Malaysian Cooperative Institute’s (IKM) Youth Knowledge Talk Programme “Chill”, used the theme “Cooperatives: Generate Income, Build the Future” and sought to familiarise students and young entrepreneurs with cooperative models and opportunities.
The programme was officially opened by Datuk Willie Mongin, a board member of the Malaysian Cooperative Institute, who stressed that involvement in cooperatives can broaden business prospects while equipping youth with practical skills and market competitiveness.
Organisers scheduled the session to begin at 10.30am in UPMS’s Main Lecture Hall and framed the discussion around youth participation, entrepreneurship and sustainable local economic development.
Representatives from UPMS management, officers from IKM and numerous university students attended the event.
Speakers underlined how cooperatives can serve as community-centred platforms for pooling resources, developing business skills and creating networks that help young people commercialise ideas and access markets.
Such collective models have been promoted internationally as a means to strengthen youth employability and entrepreneurial capacity.
Panel discussions and presentations covered practical topics including cooperative governance, start-up models, and pathways from student initiatives to registered cooperative enterprises.
Attendees were encouraged to consider cooperatives not only as social organisations but as commercially viable enterprises that can complement Sole Proprietorship and small company structures.
Datuk Willie described the institute’s presence at the university as evidence of a wider commitment to empower younger generations through knowledge transfer and by highlighting tangible opportunities available within the cooperative movement.
Participants reported keen interest in the subject matter, noting that cooperative structures can reduce entry barriers for young entrepreneurs by sharing costs and risks, and by providing access to shared facilities and joint procurement.
These benefits mirror wider analysis showing that cooperatives can play a constructive role in youth skills development and sustainable livelihoods.
University staff and IKM officials outlined follow-up actions, including guidance for students who wish to form campus cooperatives or join existing ones, and plans for further capacity-building workshops.
The initiative is part of a broader push to connect academic institutions with community development mechanisms that support local economies.
Organisers said they hope the session will encourage more sustained youth involvement in cooperative enterprises and prompt universities to integrate cooperative literacy into entrepreneurship training.
Students left the session with practical contacts, information on registration procedures and a clearer understanding of how cooperative membership can complement individual entrepreneurial ambition.
