TOP HONOUR: Teo Seng Capital Bhd executive chairman Lau Jui Peng (third from left) after receiving the grand award of the night from Finance Minister II Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan (centre). On stage with them are (from left): CIMB Group Holdings Bhd co-CEO of group commercial and transaction banking Ahmad Shazli Kamarulzaman, The Edge Media Group chairman Tan Sri Tong Kooi Ong, Bursa Malaysia CEO Datuk Fad'l Mohamed, The Edge Media Group publisher and group CEO Datuk Ho Kay Tat, and The Edge Malaysia editor-in-chief Kathy Fong. (Photo by Shahrill Basri/The Edge)

KUALA LUMPUR (Aug 4): Teo Seng Capital Bhd (KL:TEOSENG) has been named the top winner of The Edge Malaysia Centurion Club Corporate Awards 2026, which honours outstanding Malaysian public listed companies with a market value of under RM1 billion based on their financial performance.

The table egg producer was crowned Centurion of The Year (COY) at the awards’ gala dinner on Tuesday — an honour reserved for the overall top performer among 501 qualifying Bursa Malaysia-listed companies as of the end-March cut-off date.

Teo Seng also took home the award for Highest Growth in Profit After Tax Over Three Years in the consumer products and services sector, giving the group a double win for the year and its fourth winning trophy since the Centurion Club awards started in 2019. 

“This is totally unexpected for us,” said Teo Seng’s beaming executive chairman Lau Jui Peng after receiving the accolades. “Honestly we tried our best and we’ve been improving our quality. We are very honoured [by this]. Thank you for this recognition. It’s all [possible] with team work, with our top management here — our young and aggressive team.”

A total of 28 companies won awards this year, including the newly introduced Sustainability Award, which recognises outstanding sustainable business practices based on the highest FTSE Russell ESG Rating. The award went to Bermaz Auto Bhd (KL:BAUTO), which also picked up the sectoral award of Highest Return on Equity Over Three Years in consumer products and services.

The sectoral honours are based on three categories across 12 business sectors: profit after tax (PAT) growth, return on equity (ROE), and returns to shareholders over the last three years.

Besides Teo Seng and Bermaz Auto, six other companies secured double wins: Crescendo Corporation Bhd (KL:CRESNDO), KIP Real Estate Investment Trust (KL:KIPREIT), Mitrajaya Holdings Bhd (KL:MITRA), Pappajack Bhd (KL:PPJACK), Pekat Group Bhd (KL:PEKAT), and Ramssol Group Bhd (KL:RAMSSOL).

The Edge Media Group publisher and group CEO Datuk Ho Kay Tat noted that the 501 qualifying companies held a collective market cap of RM170.4 billion as of the end-March cut-off date, and generated around RM16 billion in profit attributable to shareholders from FY2023 to FY2025, the award’s evaluation period.

“To all the winning companies, big congratulations! Your agility, hard work and vision are what drive your industries as well as the country’s economy forward,” Ho said in his welcome address, before teasingly adding:

“I also know all of you, like every business, are looking at using AI and even robots to increase efficiency and productivity. That’s important. But please continue growing your business so you that can continue to hire humans by creating new jobs!” 

The event was graced by Minister of Finance II Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan, who returned as the guest of honour for the second time following his appearance at the 2024 awards ceremony. In his keynote address, he commended the winners and described their success as clear evidence of a stronger, more resilient Corporate Malaysia.

“Congratulations, your success is your own, earned through discipline, enterprise and perseverance. But it is also part of a larger national story: a Malaysian economy growing not from one towering tree alone, but from a richer, stronger Corporate Malaysia. May the recognition tonight encourage you to keep reaching higher, and may your growth help Malaysia do the same,” he said.

Joining the minister in commending the winners, Bursa Malaysia chief executive officer Datuk Fad’l Mohamed — who presented the inaugural Sustainability Award — emphasised the importance of long-term strategy.

“Sustainability, at its core, is how a company plays the long game, building trust, responding to change, and creating a positive impact beyond the balance sheet. That, ultimately, is what corporate excellence looks like,” he said, adding Bursa will continue supporting and engaging companies to help them navigate sustainability reporting and strengthen disclosures.

CIMB Group Holdings Bhd, the steadfast partner of the awards since its inception, returned as the event’s main sponsor. Congratulating the winners, the bank urged them to continue thinking boldly amid rapid global shifts. 

"This recognition is a testament to your vision, resilience and relentless pursuit of excellence,” said CIMB co-CEO of group commercial and transaction banking Ahmad Shazli Kamarulzaman, who attended the event alongside fellow co-CEO Lawrence Loh. 

Noting that local companies have never been better positioned to compete regionally through AI, digital transformation, and evolving supply chains, he added: “The companies that thrive in the years ahead will be those that remain agile, continuously evolve, and invest in innovation, talent, technology, and strong leadership ... As this year's winners, you are not only building successful businesses, you are helping to define what Malaysian business excellence looks like — setting the benchmark for others to follow while inspiring the next generation of entrepreneurs.”

The event this year also welcomed trophy maker ARTELIA as a first-time partner sponsor. “To the winning companies, congratulations on reaching an important milestone. May this recognition inspire you to continue raising the standards of excellence within your organisation and your industry,” said managing director Alex Toh.

The Centurion Club awards are now in their sixth edition, having taken a two-year break due to the pandemic in 2020 and 2021. It recognises the country’s best performing companies listed on Bursa Malaysia with a market capitalisation of at least RM100 million but below RM1 billion as of the last trading day of March of the evaluation year.

To qualify for the awards, a company must have been listed for at least three years as of the end-March cut-off date — down from four previously. It must also not be suspended or be under Bursa's watch list, and must not be delisted before the date of the awards. To be considered for highest ROE and PAT growth, the company must have been profitable every year during the evaluation period, which spans 2023 to 2025 for this year’s awards. 

The COY is chosen by evaluating members’ overall weighted scores of all three categories of ROE and PAT, and shareholder returns, while winner of the new sustainability category is selected from the top three performers of each category across the 12 business sectors, based on the highest FTSE Russell ESG Rating for December of the previous calendar year under the FTSE4Good Bursa Malaysia framework.  

The complete list of Centurion Club members and award winners will be featured in a special pullout in The Edge Malaysia weekly.