PUTRAJAYA, 14 February 2026 – Minister of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives, YB Steven Sim Chee Keong, recently distributed mandarin oranges to nearly 550 officers and staff of the Ministry in conjunction with the upcoming Chinese New Year celebration.
The minister personally visited each division and unit within the Ministry of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives (KUSKOP) to meet civil servants and hand over the mandarin oranges.
He said the gesture was more than a festive tradition, as the mandarin oranges symbolise prayers and well wishes for the year ahead.
“Beyond being a celebration custom, mandarin oranges represent prosperity, good fortune and positive hopes for the new year. In Chinese culture, the fruit is associated with luck and wealth because its pronunciation closely resembles words that signify prosperity and gold,” he said.
The symbolism reflects aspirations for all ministry personnel to be blessed with well-being, good health and success in fulfilling their responsibilities to the people.
Sim also described the arrival of the Year of the Horse as a symbol of energy, courage and resilience. He said these values should be embraced in efforts to strengthen and empower micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) nationwide.
He expressed hope that all KUSKOP personnel would enter the new year with stronger determination, a progressive mindset and continued commitment to enhancing the nation’s entrepreneurial ecosystem for shared prosperity.
