Centurion Club Awards adds sustainability category to celebrate mid-market ESG leaders
The Edge Malaysia Centurion Club Corporate Awards will return on Aug 4 with a new sustainability category for companies under RM1 billion on Bursa Malaysia.
Source: The Edge Malaysia · July 29, 2026 at 12:00 PM · AI-assisted report
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MALAYSIA, 29 JULY 2026 —
The Edge Malaysia Centurion Club Corporate Awards will return on Aug 4 with a new sustainability category for companies under RM1 billion on Bursa Malaysia.
Market Impact
The sixth edition will recognise mid-tier leaders based on financial performance, shareholder returns and return on equity, while the sustainability award singles out the winner with the highest FTSE Russell ESG Rating over the past year. According to The Edge Media Group publisher and group CEO Datuk Ho Kay Tat, the new category signals that ESG is now a core requirement rather than an optional badge.
“Sustainability is no longer an optional accolade for mid-market companies; it is a fundamental pillar of future competitiveness,” he said.
CIMB Group Holdings Bhd, the presenting sponsor since 2019, said the awards reflect how corporate excellence has broadened beyond scale and profit to include digital capability, regional reach, governance and supply-chain resilience. Ahmad Shazli Kamarulzaman, co-CEO of group commercial banking, said the shift mirrors Malaysian businesses’ maturation.
“In the early years, recognition was driven largely by financial performance and growth momentum,” he said. “Today, the leading companies stand out for much more.”
CIMB has seen several clients win Centurion awards, a milestone Shazli calls deeply rewarding.
“Seeing long-standing CIMB clients evolve from early-stage or mid-growth companies into nationally recognised champions is meaningful,” he said. “It reflects not just their ambition and execution, but the strength of a partnership that goes beyond financing.”
The bank’s Forward30 strategy positions it as a purpose-driven ASEAN leader, and Shazli said the awards help build relationships with high-potential companies that drive employment, innovation and community development.
“When they succeed, the broader economy benefits,” he said.
The sustainability category aligns with CIMB’s RM300 billion sustainable finance target by 2030. Shazli said the award encourages companies to move from viewing ESG as a compliance box to treating it as a driver of competitiveness and long-term value.
“Centurion Club companies play a critical role in the economy,” he said. “Many are scaling quickly and are increasingly integrated into regional and global supply chains, which exposes them to evolving ESG expectations.”
To help mid-market firms translate principles into practice, CIMB offers GreenBizReady™ training, capability building and greenhouse-gas advisory services, alongside sustainability-linked financing products.
The Edge Centurion Club Awards ceremony will be held on Aug 4 at The Edge Malaysia’s Kuala Lumpur office, with judging based on publicly available data and FTSE Russell ESG Ratings.
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