JAKARTA – Minister of Villages and Development of Disadvantaged Regions (Mendes PDT) Yandri Susanto met with representatives from the Malaysian Co-operative Entrepreneurship University (Universiti Keusahawanan Koperasi Malaysia / UKKM) at the Directorate General of Disadvantaged Regions Development (Ditjen PPDT) Office in Kalisari, Jakarta, on Monday (October 12, 2026).

During the meeting, Mohd Ali Bin Mansor representing UKKM proposed a strategic collaboration to strengthen cooperative models across Indonesia, with a particular focus on the Red and White Village Cooperative (Koperasi Desa Merah Putih / KDMP) initiative.

Minister Yandri welcomed the proposal, noting that the national government is currently prioritizing the rapid development and expansion of KDMP enterprises nationwide.

"The KDMP program is currently progressing through its operationalization phase," Minister Yandri stated.

Minister Yandri emphasized that KDMP represents a flagship government initiative designed to ensure that subsidized commodities—including LPG, rice, cooking oil, and fertilizers—are distributed efficiently and reach intended beneficiaries directly.

He added that while KDMP units are encouraged to expand into additional business verticals over time, their foundational mandate remains safeguarding public access to subsidized goods.

Furthermore, Minister Yandri commended UKKM's bilateral cooperation framework in providing higher education opportunities for Palestinian students through a Government-to-Government (G2G) mechanism.

He expressed hope that UKKM would extend similar academic pathways for Indonesian students to pursue studies at the university.

Regarding institutional partnership with Kemendes PDT, Minister Yandri affirmed that broad cross-border collaboration remains essential to advancing development across Indonesia's 75,266 villages.

"I invite UKKM to discuss the specific parameters of the cooperative framework directly with our Secretary-General," Minister Yandri added.

UKKM's visit serves as a direct follow-up to initial coordination meetings convened on February 4–5, 2026, in Bandung City, West Java Province.

During that session, UKKM participated in the coordination forum entitled Red and White Subdistrict Cooperative (KKMP) Go Digital and Global through Governance Enhancement, Media Branding, and Transnational Cooperative Networking.

In that session, UKKM delivered a presentation outlining best practices for modern cooperative management through standardized governance, quality management systems, and international networking opportunities.

Accompanying Minister Yandri at the meeting were Secretary-General Taufik Madjid, Inspector General Mashyudi, Director General of PPDT Samsul Widodo, Head of BPI Mulyadin Malik, and Special Staff to the Minister Yahdil Abdi Harahap.

Photo: Wening/Kemendes PDT 
Text: Firman/Kemendes PDT