SUNGAI PETANI, Feb 20 – Angkatan Koperasi Kebangsaan Malaysia Bhd (Angkasa) is set to penetrate the Asia Pacific food market this year, said its president, Datuk Seri Dr Abdul Fatah Abdullah.
He said Angkasa promotes and expands products under cooperatives to ASEAN countries such as Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, Indonesia, Cambodia, Brunei, and Singapore.
“Angkasa will further promote and expand to countries outside of ASEAN…for example, to the Asia-Pacific region such as China, India, Japan, and Korea.
“We will highlight food-based products…because the costs are lower, there is demand for halal food, and we can offer them at a more reasonable price,” he told reporters after flagging off the first MyGerak shipment to Saudi Arabia on Monday.
Also present was MyGerak Export Chamber of Malaysia Mohd Fadrol Hishaini.
On the shipment, Abdul Fatah said 12 food-based products estimated at RM489,000 are to be exported to Saudi Arabia and expected to enter the country’s market next month.
“This marks the first shipment of products from local companies under MyGerak, and I hope there will be follow-ups because this country can serve as a gateway to the Middle East region.
“The demand for Malaysian products there is high, as many Malaysians travel to the country for haj and umrah, not to mention those who work and live there,” he said, adding that Malaysian food products are well received by the Muslim community in Saudi Arabia from other countries.
He said MyGerak had shipped cooperative products to China last month, and the second shipment is expected to be made in the middle of this year.
