Dear Colleagues

Koperasi Pekerja Pekerja Bank Malaysia Berhad hereinafter shall be referred to as KoperasiBank, has come a long way since the days when the organization was on the verge of being dissolved.

In the early days when this Management Team went around recruiting members we faced a lot of apprehension from the grassroot. This was because the cooperative was dormant for so many years and people actually forgot there was a cooperative for employees in the Financial Sector.

The Previous Management Team tried everything they could to revive the organisation and when they couldn’t they decided to dissolve the organization.

KoperasiBank then was constantly in the red. Year after year the organization was posting losses and its accumulated losses stood at RM600,000 while its membership numbered less than 50.

Most of the Soft Loans that were given out turned Non Performing. No recovery plan was in place. Some of the loans were so far off that the Statute of Limitation took effect.

At that point this new Management Team decided to take over the organization. The Team believed that KoperasiBank could be turned around and the organisation has the potential to be a GIANT. The new Management Team knew the task undertaken is going to be very trying.

Immediately on taking office we revamped the entire lending guidelines. A comprehensive credit scheme was put place. New Personal Loan Schemes were offered to employees within the Financial Sector, tailored specifically to their needs.

New partners were sought and strategic business alliances were put in place. Since KoperasiBank did not have the finances we had to ride on a financer that could support us.

Thanks to the various Financial Institutions for granting us Salary Deduction, KoperasiBank grew from an ailing organization to an organization that is able to meet the financial demands of employees in the Financial Sector.

You may ask “Raj why the history lesson?” They say if we forget our past we are doomed to repeat the mistakes. If we don’t want to make the same mistakes than we should know the struggles and challenges the organization went thru.

This organization has helped so many employees out of their financial shackles. KoperasiBank has extended help to so many under the AKPK Program and we have saved a few employees from being declared bankrupts. If not for KoperasiBank most of these employees would have lost their jobs. Their families living in financial uncertainties.

KoperasiBank has the potential to become the leading cooperative in the country. If Koperasi Angkatan Tentera and Koperasi Polis could be giants what is to hold us back.

As bankers lending should be our forte. Why can't we build an organization that rivals those cooperatives?

This Management Team is ready to take on the challenge but we can only achieve success with your support. If every employee in the Financial Sector could give this organization their support we are sure KoperasiBank will the biggest cooperative in the country.

Suruhanjaya Koperasi Malaysia (SKM) is keen to see KoperasiBank grow into a Cooperative Bank like Bank Kerjasama Rakyat. Imagine a Bank owned by employees in the Financial Sector.

For the moment it is a dream but with your support we will make that dream a reality.

To sum it up, without your support and encouragement nothing is possible.

"It is our pleasure to serve you".

Thank you.

PRATHIBA RAJ ARUNASALAM