KUALA LUMPUR, March 23 — The launch of the Koperasi Wanita Malaysia Berhad (WCB) today is the first step towards creating a women’s cooperative bank in the country in the future, said Entrepreneur and Cooperative Development Minister, Tan Sri Noh Omar.
He said WCB’s achievements in the field of credit finance would be crucial to the establishment of the women’s cooperative bank.
He added that the WCB, formally established last month, will provide fast, easy and competitive micro-credit services to all eligible women entrepreneurs.
“WCB is the first women’s cooperative which is licensed to carry out Ar Rahnu activities for women only, known as Ar Rahnita, as well as to carry out gold trading activities,” he said when launching WCB at the Menara Kembar Bank Rakyat here today.
Noh said the setting up of the women’s cooperative was also proof of the government’s “Keluarga Malaysia” (Malaysian Family) commitment to empowering women in the country.
In the meantime, he also encouraged women to join cooperatives as there are cooperatives that pay higher dividends than savings accounts.
Meanwhile, WCB chairman Datin Norli Alias said WCB’s five main activities were macro credit, Ar Rahnita, gold trading, supply services and local and international entrepreneur development programs. — Bernama
