Ewon Benedick Welcomes SIB Peninsular Delegation, Emphasises Collaboration to Strengthen Community Economy

PUTRAJAYA, 11 August 2025 – Minister of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives, Datuk Ewon Benedick, today received a courtesy visit from the delegation of Sidang Injil Borneo (SIB) Peninsular, led by its President, Rev Simon P. Markus, in a meeting focused on advancing community well-being and economic development.

The delegation comprised SIB Peninsular Secretary, Pastor David Ukong; Pastor Losius Tanggunan from SIB GLOW Serdang; Pastor Edwin Saidi from SIB Victorious; and Pastor Hool Erod from SIB Puchong.

The meeting served as a strategic platform to discuss the infrastructural needs of the churches – notably the 50 SIB churches across Peninsular Malaysia, many of which serve Sabah and Sarawak congregations – as well as ongoing and upcoming economic empowerment programmes.

“I welcome the views, proposals and insights shared by SIB Peninsular. The matters raised will be brought to the attention of the MADANI Government for further discussion,” Ewon said, affirming that supporting economic development within church communities aligns with Malaysia’s vision of being an inclusive and resilient nation.

Ewon also outlined various entrepreneurship and cooperative development initiatives under the Ministry of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives (KUSKOP) and its agencies, aimed at creating business opportunities, strengthening community cooperatives, and fostering holistic economic growth.

This meeting was seen as a key step towards building stronger collaboration between the government and faith-based institutions to ensure that economic prosperity is shared across all communities, transcending state boundaries and backgrounds.