The 2024 chapter of The Edge Billion Ringgit Club (BRC) Awards is especially memorable, not only because it is the 15th year for the awards — that started in 2010 as an initiative by The Edge Malaysia to recognise, honour and celebrate the biggest and best of Corporate Malaysia — but also the year in which The Edge Malaysia celebrates its 30th anniversary of reporting news that matters.

Making excellence a habit

Winners of The Edge Billion Ringgit Club (The Edge BRC) Awards 2024 gathered at Corporate Malaysia’s biggest and most anticipated awards night on Friday, Aug 23.

Corporate Malaysia’s crème de la crème fêted

Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh. Salam Sejahtera. Salam Malaysia Madani. And a very good evening to Yang Berbahagia Tan Sri Tong Kooi Ong, chairman of The Edge Media Group; Yang Berbahagia Datuk Ho Kay Tat, publisher and group CEO of The Edge Media Group; distinguished guests; members of The Edge Billion Ringgit Club; and ladies and gentlemen.

Prioritise nation building, think of the rakyat

Yang Amat Berhormat Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Prime Minister of Malaysia; Yang Berhormat Senator Tengku Datuk Seri Utama Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz, Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry; members of The Edge Billion Ringgit Club; our partners, friends and colleagues; ladies and gentlemen.

Bringing out the best in every Malaysian company

Winning The Edge Billion Ringgit Club (BRC) Company of the Year award is no easy feat.

Celebrating enduring excellence for the 15th year

There aren’t many bankers today quite like Tan Sri Tay Ah Lek, the managing director and CEO of Public Bank Bhd (KL:PBBANK).

A rare breed of banker

Gamuda Bhd (KL:GAMUDA) is no stranger to The Edge Billion Ringgit Club (BRC) Awards, having taken home eight awards in the construction sector and best corporate responsibility (CR) initiatives category over the years since its first win in 2013.

Expanding its presence at home and abroad

Companies that communicate well on how their business model is evolving to create and deliver lasting value to multiple stakeholders continue to thrive this year, says The Edge Billion Ringgit Club (BRC)’s panel of corporate responsibility (CR) judges.

Delivering sustainable value beyond compliance pressure

CelcomDigi Bhd (KL:CDB) has grown from strength to strength in the last two years, with its first full year of operations as a merged entity in the 12 months ended Dec 31, 2023 (FY2023) showing improvements on multiple fronts.

Crystallising merger synergies and scale

CIMB Group Holdings Bhd (KL:CIMB) has managed to bounce back strongly from the lows of 2020, when the health of all lenders’ books was tested by measures introduced during the Covid-19 lockdown.

Strong bounce back from lows of pandemic

Having been in this country for more than 110 years, Nestlé (M) Bhd (KL:NESTLE) continues to deliver on its philosophy of “Good Food, Good Life” through its diverse food and beverage (F&B) offerings, which include halal-certified, made-in-Malaysia products like Milo, Maggi and Nescafé.

Century-long household name delivers more than ‘good food’

International multi-utility operator YTL Power International Bhd (KL:YTLPOWR) bagged its first two trophies at the gala dinner for the The Edge Billion Ringgit Club (BRC) awards this year, owing to the phenomenal rise in its share price over the past year and a half.

Buoyed by renewable energy push

Sunway Construction Group Bhd (KL:SUNCON) is a familiar name at The Edge Billion Ringgit Club (BRC) Awards. For the sixth consecutive year, the group has secured the BRC award for highest return on equity (ROE) over three years in the construction sector.

Buoyed by optimism on data centre jobs

Carlsberg Brewery Malaysia Bhd’s (KL:CARLSBG) strategy of focusing on its premium brands is paying off even as the soft consumer market and inflationary pressures have kept sales volumes from normalising back above pre-Covid-19 pandemic levels.

Premiumisation strategy brews up good returns

Johnson & Johnson, fresh off a US$14.6 billion (RM65.38 billion) deal to buy neurological drugmaker Intra-Cellular, reported fourth-quarter (4Q) revenues and profit above Wall Street estimates on Wednesday, driven by strong sales of its cancer treatments.

J&J has been on an acquisition spree to boost its drugs and device businesses after spinning off its consumer unit in 2023.

J&J beats quarterly sales and profit estimates on cancer drug sales

The ceasefire agreement that paused the war between Israel and the Hezbollah militia in Lebanon will likely be extended when it expires next week, according to several people familiar with the matter.

The Iran-backed group and the Israelis are unlikely to resume full-scale fighting despite needing more time to implement the original terms of the truce, which started in late November, according to Lebanese, Israeli and French government officials involved in ongoing talks.

Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire set to be extended beyond next week

Türkiye has detained 11 people as part of an investigation into a fire that killed 76 people and injured dozens at a ski resort in the Bolu mountains, Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc said on Wednesday.

A deputy mayor of the northwestern Bolu province, the head of the municipality's fire department, the owner and the manager of the hotel were among those detained, Tunc said on X.

Türkiye detains 11 over ski resort hotel fire that killed 76

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday threatened Russia "and other participating countries" with taxes, tariffs and sanctions if a deal to end the war in Ukraine is not struck soon.

Without a deal, Trump said in a post on Truth Social, "I have no other choice but to put high levels of Taxes, Tariffs, and Sanctions on anything being sold by Russia to the United States, and various other participating countries."

Trump threatens Russia, others with sanctions if Ukraine deal not reached

Amazon.com Inc will shut down all warehouses and lay off employees in the French-speaking Canadian province of Quebec.

“Following a recent review of our Quebec operations, we’ve seen that returning to a third-party delivery model supported by local small businesses, similar to what we had until 2020, will allow us to provide the same great service and even more savings to our customers over the long run,” said Amazon spokesperson Barbara Agrait in an emailed statement.

Amazon to close warehouses in Quebec, slashing 1,900 jobs

Gold prices soared to near three-month highs on Wednesday, trading below its record peak, fuelled by a soft dollar and lack of clarity around US President Donald Trump's policy plans, which investors fear could trigger trade wars and elevate market volatility.

Spot gold added 0.3% to US$2,753.79 per ounce as of 9.45am ET (1445 GMT). Prices were at their highest since Oct 31 when they hit their all-time-high of US$2,790.15.

Trump uncertainties push safe-haven gold to near all-time highs

Export-Import Bank of Malaysia Bhd (EXIM Bank) has filed a lawsuit against instant coffee manufacturer Power Root Bhd (KL:PWROOT), seeking RM7.39 million over insurance claim payout dispute. 

According to Power Root’s filing with Bursa Malaysia on Wednesday, EXIM Bank is demanding repayment of RM675,509.22 disbursed to its subsidiaries, namely Power Root (M) Sdn Bhd (PRM), Power Root Manufacturing Sdn Bhd (PRMFG), and Power Root ME Free Zone Company (PRME).

Power Root sued by EXIM Bank over insurance claim payout 

Asean is progressing cautiously on Myanmar as it is critical to secure peace in the country, said Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

He said Asean’s approach is not about enforcing a particular system but ensuring inclusivity and peace as well as the importance of participatory democracy.

Asean takes cautious approach on Myanmar, critical to secure peace — Anwar

Sustainability can sometimes be seen as a concept only achievable by those with resources, but it can also be practised by smallholders and bring about financial benefits, according to the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO).

According to RSPO, 85% of oil palm plantation owners ar...

Agriculture: Sustainable palm oil practices in Surat Thani province

KPMG International’s Survey of Sustainability Reporting 2024, published in December, highlights that sustainability reporting has become a routine part of business operations for nearly all of the top 100 companies in each country. Notably, Malaysia is among seven countries where all top 100 companies report on their sustainability efforts.

Top global companies make sustainability reporting part of core practice

Arina, Sime Darby Property Bhd’s (KL:SIMEPROP) first single-storey linked homes in Bandar Ainsdale, achieved full take-up of all 118 units within hours of its launch on Saturday, Jan 18.

Sime Darby Property’s Arina single-storey homes in Bandar Ainsdale fully taken up within hours of launch

Export-Import Bank of Malaysia Bhd (EXIM Bank) has filed a lawsuit against instant coffee manufacturer Power Root Bhd (KL:PWROOT), seeking RM7.39 million over insurance claim payout dispute.&nbsp;

According to Power Root’s filing with Bursa Malaysia on Wednesday, EXIM Bank is demanding repayment of RM675,509.22 disbursed to its subsidiaries, namely Power Root (M) Sdn Bhd (PRM), Power Root Manufacturing Sdn Bhd (PRMFG), and Power Root ME Free Zone Company (PRME).

HSBC Bank Malaysia Bhd has officially opened its flagship wealth centre in&nbsp;Menara IQ at the Tun Razak Exchange (TRX), Malaysia’s international financial hub,&nbsp;to serve its high-net-worth clients.

HSBC Malaysia opens flagship wealth centre at TRX to serve high-net-worth clients

A fugitive banker accused of orchestrating a US$1 billion (RM4.45 billion) fraud in Moldova appears to be helping Russian lenders and businesses to continue conducting foreign trade amid payment problems caused by sanctions.

Fugitive banker may be helping Russian firms beat US sanctions

SRC International Sdn Bhd’s former director Datuk Suboh Md Yasin told the High Court on Wednesday that he signed four blank cheques that led to RM19.5 million going to Umno and Umno Selangor.

Former SRC director says he signed blank cheques, didn’t know payments were to Umno

KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 22): Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) on Wednesday kept the benchmark interest rate unchanged as widely expected, comfortable with its outlook for sustained economic growth and manageable inflation.

BNM keeps OPR steady, takes comfort in sustained growth

The public portion of ACE Market-bound Northern Solar Holdings Bhd’s initial public offering (IPO) has been oversubscribed by 73.2&nbsp;times.&nbsp;

Northern Solar's IPO oversubscribed by 73.2 times

Datuk Seri Najib Razak denies seeking royalties from the Middle East to help stepson Riza Aziz over his alleged entanglement with 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) funds, the court heard on Wednesday.

Najib says stepson was already servicing loan from Emerati prince, phone call only to formalise agreement

The&nbsp;industrial subsector&nbsp;is expected to continue&nbsp;its positive trend&nbsp;in 2025,&nbsp;according to&nbsp;Henry Butcher Malaysia&nbsp;chief operating officer Tang Chee Meng. The Henry Butcher Perspective — Malaysia Property Outlook 2025 report, which was&nbsp;launched&nbsp;on Wednesday, noted that&nbsp;the&nbsp;volume of industrial transactions in the first nine months of 2024 (9M2024)&nbsp;increased by 6.5%, while the value rose 22.8%.

Henry Butcher: Malaysia's industrial subsector to continue strong performance

Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak claimed that he was being prosecuted for "being transparent" on how he spent the purported donation from the Middle East.

The now-imprisoned 71-year-old, said that he could have easily utilised the donation monies in the form of cash but did not do so and specifically used cheques because he knew it would be documented.

1MDB-Tanore trial: Najib denies abusing funds, says used cheques to be 'transparent'

KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 22): Mah Sing Group Bhd’s (KL:MAHSING) proposed acquisition of land in Sentul, its first deal of the year, is being done at fair and attractive&nbsp;valuations, analysts said.

Mah Sing's first land deal in 2025 is fair and attractive, analysts say

Malaysia’s international reserves fell by US$700 million by mid-January this year, from a fortnight earlier, according to Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM).

BNM: Malaysia’s international reserves down to US$115.5b as at mid-January

Investors looking for opportunities in Malaysia are recommended to look beyond data centre-related stocks and proxies to artificial intelligence (AI), amid the US restriction on AI chip exports, said Manulife Investment Management (Manulife IM).

Look beyond Malaysian proxies of data centres, says Manulife IM

Here is a brief recap of some business news and corporate announcements that made the headlines on Wednesday

Sunway, CapitaLand Malaysia Trust, Sentral REIT, AME REIT, Jentayu, Power Root 

Datuk Seri Najib Razak said he did not interfere with the attorney general’s (AG) prosecutorial discretion while he was prime minister.&nbsp;

Najib claims he was mindful not to interfere in AG's prosecutions 

KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 22): The risk of overbuilding of residential properties would become more apparent in the coming years, particularly in high-growth cities, according to JLL Appraisal &amp; Property Services Sdn Bhd (JLL Malaysia).

JLL Malaysia: Risk of overbuilding as market sentiment improves

Malaysia’s inflation is expected to reverse its current downtrend&nbsp;and gradually rise from mid-2025, driven by subsidy rationalisation, tax adjustments, and wage increases, according to economists.

Economists warn of short-lived inflation downtrend, predict gradual rebound by mid-2025

Jentayu Sustainables Bhd (KL:JSB) said the Securities Commission Malaysia (SC) has denied the building material and renewable energy (RE) group’s bid for an extension of time to complete its acquisition of three RE firms proposed in 2021.

Jentayu was informed of the regulator’s decision not to approve its application seeking an extension up to March 26, 2025, via a letter on Wednesday, according to the company’s bourse filing.

SC denies Jentayu’s extension bid to complete acquisitions of RE firms

CapitaLand Malaysia Trust (KL:CLMT) posted a 15% year-on-year increase in its fourth quarter net property income (NPI) on higher revenue contribution from the majority of CLMT’s properties, supported by stronger retail sentiment.

CapitaLand Malaysia Trust posts record net property income of RM264 mil in FY2024

TechStore Bhd, an enterprise information technology (IT) services provider set to make its debut on the ACE Market of Bursa Malaysia on Feb 18, intends to collaborate with industry players as part of its strategy to secure larger and more complex projects.

The Edge Billion Ringgit Club 2024

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The Edge Billion Ringgit Club 2024

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