Eligible fishermen and the local community in the south of Penang island in Malaysia can benefit from a newly established cooperative called Koperasi Komuniti Pulau Pinang Selatan Bhd (KKPPSB).
KKPPSB was set up under the Social Impact Management Plan (SIMP) for the Penang South Islands (PSI) project.
“The cooperative will be given assets on PSI, in line with Penang government’s commitment to ensure the local community is not sidelined in the development.
“Apart from annual dividends, members of the cooperative will also get other benefits like job and business opportunities, besides death benefits,” said Penang Deputy Chief Minister I Datuk Ahmad Zakiyuddin Abdul Rahman.
A media statement by Penang Infrastructure Corporation (PIC) stated that in future, KKPPSB would also run other business activities like manufacturing and deploying fish aggregating devices (FADs) and artificial reefs; managing fish and shrimp hatcheries; providing maintenance services; and supplying food and bus or van transport service for construction workers.