Plans underway to form new mosque cooperatives, revive dormant ones

Minister of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said the collaboration between the Ministry of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives (Medac) and the Department of Islamic Dvelopment Malaysia (Jakim) has proposed to increase the establishment of mosque cooperatives nationwide.

He said based on the registration record with the Malaysian Cooperative Commission as of December 2019, there were 446 registered mosque qariah cooperatives with members totalling 30,515, and they recorded a revenue of only RM15.37 million.

Out of the total number, 300 cooperatives are active and 77 are dormant, he said.

“This shows that the mosque cooperative movement has huge potential to be developed.

"The mosque qariah cooperatives that are not active must be assisted for their revival and are introduced to potential business activities to boost their confidence, besides generating more income for them,” he said in a statement today.

The mosque qariah cooperative, with minimum membership of 50 and open to local residents, is one of the initiatives to develop the economic activities of mosques through business activities as well as create jobs for the qariah members, he said.

Wan Junaidi said Medac and Jakim would also explore cooperation to enhance the commercial value of products of the entrepreneurs and cooperatives via halal certification; develop waqaf land throughout the country for the benefits of the community; and to value-add to the Asnaf Entrepreneurship Programme.