PUTRAJAYA, MARCH 9, 2026 – In a heartfelt gesture to mark the upcoming holy month of Ramadan, Malaysia’s Minister of Entrepreneur and Cooperatives Development, Steven Sim Chee Keong, distributed dates to 535 staff members of the Ministry of Entrepreneur and Cooperatives Development (KUSKOP).
The event, held at the ministry’s headquarters, saw the minister personally visiting each floor of the building to interact with employees. This allowed him to engage in casual conversations, inquire about their well-being, and foster stronger team spirit and camaraderie among the workforce.
During the session, staff had the opportunity to directly discuss their roles, work environment, and share insights with the minister. Sim also made a special visit to the ministry’s call center, where he encouraged frontline workers who handle public inquiries on a daily basis.
This distribution of dates has become an annual tradition for Sim ahead of Ramadan. This year’s dates were sourced from Nablus in Palestine and purchased from Pasar Palestin, a small shop operated by the Palestinian community in Malaysia. The minister has been supporting this business since 2019, highlighting his commitment to humanitarian values and solidarity, especially during the blessed month of Ramadan.
Emphasizing the Ramadan spirit of sharing and empathy, the ministry reiterated its dedication to strengthening Malaysia’s entrepreneurship and cooperative ecosystem, in line with the ‘Ihsan’ values of the Malaysia MADANI aspiration.
KUSKOP plays a pivotal role in creating a holistic and conducive entrepreneurial environment to support inclusive, balanced, and sustainable socio-economic development. Its key functions include setting the national direction for entrepreneurship and instilling entrepreneurial values in Malaysian society.
The ministry oversees several agencies, including the Suruhanjaya Koperasi Malaysia (SKM) for cooperative sector development and regulation; SME Corp for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs); TEKUN Nasional for micro-financing; and others such as Bank Rakyat, SME Bank, and Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia, all aimed at bolstering entrepreneurial growth across various sectors.
About The Author
