This article first appeared in The Edge Malaysia Weekly on October 5, 2026 - October 11, 2026

Speech by Tan Sri Tong Kooi Ong, Chairman of The Edge Media Group

Duli Yang Maha Mulia Paduka Seri Sultan Perak Darul Ridzuan, Sultan Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah Ibni Almarhum Sultan Azlan Muhibbuddin Shah Al-Maghfur-Lah; Duli Yang Maha Mulia Raja Permaisuri Perak Darul Ridzuan, Tuanku Zara Salim; and distinguished guests.

Once is an event. Twice is a return. Three times begins a tradition.

Tonight is our 17th consecutive time.

So, I think we can safely call the Billion Ringgit Club an institution. At 17, it is old enough to have opinions — but not yet old enough to vote.

Institutions endure because people trust them. And trust comes from something quite simple: clear rules, transparency and consistency.

That is how these awards work. This year, 183 companies qualified for the Billion Ringgit Club out of 1,060 companies listed on Bursa Malaysia. Together, they account for RM1.9 trillion, or 91% of Bursa’s total market capitalisation.

Our criteria are deliberately boring. They are measurable. They are public. And they are known in advance.

We use audited financial accounts and market prices. No mysterious envelopes. No last-minute change of rules. Anyone looking at the same numbers and applying the same methodology should reach the same conclusion.

Why? Because credibility must be verifiable. Integrity must be consistent. And trust must be earned — repeatedly.

But there is a bigger reason why this matters.

What we reward, we encourage. And what we encourage, we tend to get more of. Economists call these incentives. Biology calls it evolution. Religions speak of choices, consequences, accountability, karma and dharma.

Different language. Same human nature.

And that is why an awards ceremony is about more than trophies.

As a media organisation, we should be careful about what we celebrate. We want to celebrate companies that perform, compete, invest, innovate and become more productive.

Companies that create good jobs, generate profits, pay taxes, reward shareholders and contribute to the wider economy.

Because nations need successful companies.

And equally important, we need companies that succeed through competition and merit — not protection, privilege or connections.

Competition forces companies to learn and improve. Companies that learn to compete successfully at home are better equipped to compete globally.

That is how productive capability is built. Not by choosing winners, but by creating an environment where winners can emerge.

And there is some evidence that our winners really have been winners.

Of the past 16 Company of the Year winners, all but one subsequently outperformed the Bursa index — by an average of 69%.

So perhaps the proof of the pudding really is in the eating.

Performance should be recognised. Merit should be rewarded. And success should be earned — and celebrated.

Because incentives shape behaviour. Behaviour shapes companies. Companies shape economies. And economies ultimately shape the prosperity and well-being of our people.

Congratulations to all our winners tonight.

You earned it.

And that is precisely the point.

Thank you.

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