A new accolade comes into full force

Setting the standards: All the winners taking a group photo with Yeow (front row, fourth from left), Noor Azman (front row, fifth from left) and Firdaus (front row, sixth from left).

AFTER over a year since it was first mooted, the Malaysia Developer Awards (MDA), crafted by FIABCI-Malaysia and Star Media Group (SMG), saw resounding success as prominent names in the property development industry were recognised for their outstanding performances at the inaugural gala dinner.

The emergence of the awards was timely given the eminent recovery of the Malaysian economy and the property industry.

The initial goal of launching the MDA was to create first-rate, holistic and inclusive accolades that would be the pinnacle of achievements alongside being the talk of the town, said SMG group chief executive officer Alex Yeow.

“To that end, we collaborated with none other than FIABCI-Malaysia which has carved a name for itself as an undeniable authority for brand endorsement for the property and real estate industry both locally and internationally.

“Similarly, The Star is a household name in Malaysia and we take pride in being able to provide credible and reliable endorsements of the real estate industry.

With that, the coming together of two powerhouses for this new prestigious accolade will undoubtedly create a new benchmark for excellence and allow the industry to recognise the most prominent and successful developers in Malaysia,” he said.

FIABCI-Malaysia is the Malaysian chapter of the globally-renowned 71-year-old Federation Internationale des Administrateurs de Bien-Conselis Immobiliers, which translates as the International Real Estate Federation.

“Through the recognition given through the MDA, we aim to embolden developers to reimagine the future of the industry which will ultimately showcase how Malaysian players are able to push the boundaries of what it truly means to be a world-class developer,” said Yeow. FIABCI-Malaysia president Datuk Firdaus Musa said the award recognised developers on the basis of their accomplishments with holistic and credible benchmarking.

“This ensures all projects are assessed impartially, bringing about trustworthy judgements to the industry and the Malaysian public. The MDA also incorporates global standards of development excellence to elevate the industry to the next level.

“This is done through championing quality without compromise and upholding strong values that focus on social and environmental issues,” he said.

Housing and Local Government secretary-general Datuk M Noor Azman Taib officiated at the MDA 2022 dinner held at the Sunway Resort Hotel Grand Ballroom.

The prestigious ceremony saw 28 trophies handed out for five categories under the Special Awards and Top-of-the-Chart Awards.

The Special Awards comprise the Rising Star Award, Transformation Award and International Award while the Top-of-the-Chart Awards are divided into two categories namely the Top 10 for Market Capitalisation of RM1bil and above, and the Top 10 for Market Capitalisation below RM1bil.

This was to even out the playing field between bigger property developers and their smaller counterparts while also providing the opportunity for medium and small property developers to be recognised.

The winners of the Top 10 for Market Capitalisation of RM1bil and above were Matrix Concepts Holdings Bhd, OSK Holdings Bhd, Scientex Bhd, Sime Darby Property Bhd, S P Setia Bhd, Mah Sing Group Bhd, IOI Properties Group Bhd, Malaysian Resources Corp Bhd, UEM Sunrise Bhd and Sunway Bhd.

Winners in the Top 10 for Market Capitalisation below RM1bil category were Symphony Life Bhd, DPS Resources Bhd, EUPE Corporation Bhd, Paramount Corp Bhd, AYER Holdings Bhd, Jiankun International Bhd, LBS Bina Group Bhd, Guocoland (M) Bhd, MUI Properties Bhd and KEN Holdings Bhd.

For the Rising Star Award, BON Estates Sdn Bhd, EXSIM and KLK Land helmed the winning spots. EXSIM was also a winner of the Transformation Award alongside Sunway Property and Tropicana Corp Bhd.

The International Award was meanwhile won by Eco Sanctuary, Singapore by S P Setia Bhd and the Four Seasons Hotel and Hotel Residences Kyoto by Berjaya Land Bhd. Accounting firm KPMG validated the results.

For more information on the winners and the MDA programme, visit malaysiadeveloperawards.com.my.