KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 9): The EY Entrepreneur of the Year (EOY) 2025 Malaysia awards has announced its shortlist of 13 top nominees on Oct 7 in the Emerging, Technology, Woman and Master categories.
In the Emerging Entrepreneur category, top nominees are Ain Azizah Arifin of Bubbles O2 Marketing Sdn Bhd, Ang Rui Mei and Nicholas Lim Pinn Yang from Good Foodie Media Sdn Bhd, and Henry Ting of TTRacing.
For the Technology Entrepreneur category, the top nominees are Kelington Group Bhd’s (KL:KGB) Raymond Gan Hung Keng, Powerwell Holdings Bhd’s (KL:PWRWELL) Catherine Wong, and Systech Digital Solutions Sdn Bhd's Dr Wilson Low Min Yew.
Meanwhile, individuals Michelle Hah from Fire Fighter Industry Sdn Bhd, Fatin Syamimy Liana Badaruddin from IMAN Media Group Sdn Bhd and Tiffany Yow of The Flow Studio are top nominees under the Woman Entrepreneur category.
Top nominees from the Master Entrepreneur category include Datuk Davis Chong of Solarvest Holdings Bhd (KL:SLVEST), Ajoy Gopinath Prabhu from Symbiotica Speciality Ingredients Sdn Bhd, Datuk Kamarul Redzuan Muhamed of Uzma Bhd (KL:UZMA), and duo Ian Chua and Venon Tian from ZUS Coffee.
The top nominees were determined by an independent panel of judges guided by a set of judging criteria that is consistently applied globally by the EY Entrepreneur of the Year programme.
The winners of the four categories, as well as the coveted EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2025 Malaysia award, will be announced at an awards ceremony on Dec 9. The nominee winning the title of the EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2025 Malaysia award will then join other country award recipients from around the globe in May 2026 to compete for the EY World Entrepreneur of the Year 2026 award in Monte Carlo, Monaco.
“For 24 years, the EOY programme has celebrated Malaysia's business leaders. We are proud to highlight their stories and contributions to our communities and nation.
“This year, we have also witnessed an unprecedented number of nominees, and in particular women representation across all categories. We believe that this reflects the programme’s purpose and its profound impact on our country,” says Ernst & Young Consulting Sdn Bhd Malaysia managing partner Datuk Abdul Rauf Rashid.
Ernst & Young Consulting and programme director of EOY Malaysia Philip Rao said that the theme “The Shapers” recognises entrepreneurs who build and shape their businesses with care and patience, which he likens to batik-making where it is meticulously crafted.
“The theme acknowledges the innovation and resilience of these entrepreneurs, who realise their bold ambitions and showcase their mastery along the way. The Top Nominees are honoured for their entrepreneurial spirit, dedication to sustainable business practices and innovative solutions.
“This year’s nominees have collectively achieved more than RM5.5 billion in revenue and created over 13,000 jobs, playing a vital role in community and national development. Their accomplishments are truly remarkable,” he said.
The panel of judges for the EOY 2025 programme include former APEC Secretariat executive director Tan Sri Dr Rebecca Sta Maria, AEON360 managing director Low Ngai Yuen, Bursa Malaysia Bhd (KL:BURSA) chief executive officer Datuk Fad’l Mohamed, Commerce.Asia Group of Companies founder and executive chairman Ganesh Kumar Bangah, Hyrax Oil Sdn Bhd group executive chairman Datuk Hazimah Zainuddin, Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) CEO Anuar Fariz Fadzil and OMS Group group CEO Ronnie Lim.
The EY Entrepreneur of the Year is the only global programme of its kind that supports entrepreneurs as they unlock their ambitions. It operates across more than 60 countries and jurisdictions and boasts a global ecosystem of over 30,000 distinguished entrepreneurs. Each programme concludes with a competition and announcement of a winner who goes on to represent their country or region in the ultimate global competition and event for entrepreneurs: EY World Entrepreneur of the Year.
For more information about the EOY 2025 Malaysia programme, visit www.ey.com/my/eoy.