KPJ Healthcare Berhad

The Edge BRC winners delighted with awards

The Edge Financial Daily, Tuesday, 19 Jul 2011

KUALA LUMPUR: Lecturer turned-entrepreneur Chia Song Kun was all smiles at this year's The Edge Billion Ringgit Club (BRC) Corporate Awards. His company QL Resources Bhd, which went from a smalltime fishmeal distributor to a multi-billion ringgit operation in just over two decades, bagged this year's coveted Company of the Year Award. Chia was honoured and excited over the win. "I am truly proud of QL Resources' achievement. We strongly believe that our core values have been the driving force behind our new-found recognition. These values involve innovative thinking, cooperative teamwork as well as integrity in our actions and decisions, he told The Edge Financial Daily. He also praised its management for their strong business acumen, execution capability, good ethics and risk management discipline. "But most of all, there is an unshakable belief in creating value for all stakeholders," said Chia, who is QL Resources' founder and managing director. QL Resources was among 18 companies recognised at The Edge BRC Corporate Awards gala dinner at the Shangri-La Hotel last Wednesday night, where a total of 25 awards were given away. They comprise the Company of The Year award as well as 24 sectoral awards for Best Performing Stock, Highest Profit Growth Company and Most Profitable Company across eight sectors. Established last year, The Edge BRC groups together companies with at least RM1 billion in market capitalisation as at March 31, 2011 or revenue in financial year 2010. The gala dinner, attended by Malaysia's top captains of industry, was graced by Datuk Seri Idris Jala, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department and CEO of the Performance Management and Delivery Unit (Pemandu). Datuk Seri Stanley Thai, whose Supermax Corp Bhd was a top winner at BRC Corporate Awards last year, described the BRC Awards'intent to recognise responsible and consistent corporate performers as "great and fantastic':He was a tad surprised at being rewarded again this year. "I did not expect to win anything as Supermax won the Company of the Year award last year," said Thai, Supermax's chairman and managing director. Supermax took home the Highest Profit Growth Company and Best Performing Stock awards for the industrial products sector this year. It was also a night for the big boys. Tan Sri Teh Hong Piow, founder and chairman of Public Bank Bhd, attributed the group's success to its prudent credit culture and effective risk management. Public Bank won the Most Profitable Company award for the finance sector. "The Public Bank group has nurtured a strong corporate culture and teamwork to consistently deliver high value-added products and services with superior delivery standards to the customer. Coupled with a strong compliance culture, the group practices strong corporate governance," Teh said. He also attributed the group's success to the sustained performance of the Malaysian economy over the years. The Most Profitable Company award for the property and REIT sector went to Sunway City Bhd. Its director of strategic and corporate development Sarena Cheah dedicated the award to its team. "Without them, this would not be possible," she said. Mah Sing Group Bhd managing director and chief executive Tan Sri Datuk Seri Leong Hoy Kum said it was an honour to be part of the The Edge BRC for the second year. "We are very pleased to win the Best Performing Stock award. It is indeed an honour to be recognised for what we do but more importantly it is testament to the talent and passion of our entire organisation, which is committed to delivering innovative concepts, high quality and exceptional service," he said, adding that Mah Sing's top priority has always been to protect and enhance shareholders' value. "This award not only gives us the recognition but also a boost for us to perform better," he said. KPJ Healthcare Bhd managing director Datin Paduka Siti Sa'diah Sheikh Bakir dedicated its award to all its shareholders and investors who has supported KPJ in the past three years. "It is proof of our ability to generate strong shareholders' value year after year, and is a strong testimony of the success of KPJ's business model," she said, adding that the achievement is a result of accumulated efforts and support from its board, management, staff and customers. The BRC Awards panel of judges for corporate social responsibility (CSR) were Bursa Malaysia Bhd chief regulatory officer Selvarany Rasiah; OCBC Bank (M) Bhd CEO and director Jeffrey Chew; Philip Koh Tong Ngee, World Vision Malaysia chairman and senior partner of Mah-Kamariah & Philip Koh; and The Edge editor-in-chief Dorothy Teoh. Selvarany said the increase in the number of The Edge BRC members to 185 companies from 163 last year reflects the growth of value in the local market. "It is a testament to the efforts undertaken by these companies to grow shareholder value. It is heartening to note that this growth in value is also