This article first appeared in The Edge Malaysia Weekly on October 6, 2025 - October 12, 2025

Companies that demonstrate they have set ambitious but realistic targets and have considered the long-term impact of their actions on multiple stakeholders continued to find favour with The Edge Billion Ringgit Club’s (BRC) panel of corporate responsibility (CR) judges.

Jeffrey Teoh, managing director and head of wholesale banking at OCBC Bank (Malaysia) Bhd, stresses the importance of ensuring that Corporate Malaysia is spurred on to do further good by periodically recognising the lasting impact it has on the community. “While finance-related metrics are foundational to the selection of winners, we have always upheld corporate responsibility and sustainability-linked efforts as equally critical for determining the winners,” he elaborates.

At the BRC judges meeting on Aug 15, Jeffrey notes how companies that do well in CR are often those that understand their business and stakeholders well and are able to build a resilient business model around that keen understanding.

Dorothy Teoh, CEO of The Edge Education Foundation, agrees. Emphasising the need to measure goals that have been set to ensure they are always on track, the larger corporations with dedicated sustainability officers and pledges often stand out, she remarks.

That is not to say smaller companies do not stand a change, given that every member of The Edge BRC has at least RM1 billion in market capitalisation, indicating an ability to set aside resources. There were also instances where perceived leading practitioners failed to clearly update on the progress of their sustainability programmes, leaving the judges wondering whether the progress had stalled.

Dorothy continues to favour corporations that go beyond charity, focusing on real-world solutions that have an impact on lives and livelihoods.

She weighs in on another top scorer, KPJ Healthcare Bhd (KL:KPJ), which has 19 hospitals certified as baby-friendly and that have baby hatches that provide safety for babies abandoned by their parents. Five KPJ hospitals had baby hatches in 2024, up from four in 2023, but still below seven in 2022, according to its 2024 annual report.

Special mention was made regarding the impact of Public Bank Bhd’s (KL:PBBANK) PB Scam Rangers mobile cybersecurity fraud expert programme. According to its 2024 annual report, the group protected 1.1 million customers from scams and prevented more than 3.6 million transactions worth RM1.71 billion from being fraudulently transferred.

Meanwhile, Philip Koh Tong Ngee, senior partner at Mah-Kamariyah & Philip Koh Advocates & Solicitors, favours companies that understand their role in the broader socioeconomic and ecological system and show tenacity in improving outcomes for multi-stakeholders.

Koh, who is also an adjunct professor at Universiti Malaya’s Faculty of Law, gives brownie points to those that demonstrate good governance practices and creativity in problem-solving. He encourages companies to study leading practices and adapt them into sustainable strategies for their own organisations.

In recognition of the importance of sustainability, CR constitutes 20% of the score in determining The Edge BRC’s Company of the Year. Quantitative metrics — growth in profit after tax over three years (30%), return to shareholders over three years (25%) and return on equity over three years (25%) — make up the other 80%.

OCBC Bank Malaysia has been the main partner of The Edge BRC since the inception of the awards in 2010.

“We are pleased to once again be part of this admirable platform where the best are honoured. As the main partner of The Edge BRC since its inception 15 years ago, we remain dedicated to highlighting the exemplary stewardship of those who consistently go the extra mile,” says Jeffrey.

He also notes the weight it carries as the main partner for the awards. “At OCBC Malaysia, we are mindful that beyond actively driving this agenda forward, we must also embody it through the way we conduct and engage in our business. Towards this end, we are committed to supporting our clients’ sustainability ambitions through our diverse suite of ESG-linked products, including green bonds, sustainability-linked loans and transition finance instruments. These are complemented by our corporate responsibility initiative as the OCBC Group strives to be Asia’s leading financial services partner for a sustainable future,” he says.

“Congratulations to the winners for their courage, tenacity and commitment to uplifting the community. We hope that as exemplars of the winning formula, these companies will be able to share more about their successful endeavours for others to aspire to, emulate and, ultimately, do well by doing good.”

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