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KUALA LUMPUR (Sept 7): Malayan Banking Bhd (KL:MAYBANK) emerged as the biggest winner at the inaugural Bursa Malaysia IR Awards 2026 that was held last Friday, sweeping home three awards including Best Financial Reporting and the flagship Best Company in IR.
Capping the hattrick win for the company was its sectoral win as Best Large-Cap company in IR for Financial Services while its president and group chief executive officer Datuk Seri Khairussaleh Ramli was named Best CEO in IR.
The awards honoured a total of 32 winners across eight main categories, celebrating public listed companies (PLCs) and investor relations professionals who have demonstrated a strong commitment to investor engagement, market communication and corporate transparency, Bursa said in a statement on Monday.
- Best Company in IR (overall)
- Best Financial Reporting
- Best Sustainability Communications
- Best IPO Company in IR
- Best CEO in IR
- Best CFO in IR
- Best Large-cap Company in IR by Sector (across 13 sectors)
- Best Mid/Small-cap Company in IR by Sector (across 13 sectors)
Other notable winners include Tenaga Nasional Bhd (KL:TENAGA), which took home twin awards for Best Sustainability Communications and Best Large-cap Company in IR for Utilities, and Oriental Kopi Holdings Bhd (KL:KOPI), which was named Best IPO Company in IR.
The other individual award — the Best CFO in IR — went to Malkit Singh Maan of Hong Leong Bank Bhd (KL:HLBANK).
Effective investor relations is important in strengthening the quality and competitiveness of Malaysia’s listed companies, said Treasury secretary general Tan Sri Johan Mahmood Merican when delivering the keynote address at the awards celebrations.
“By communicating openly and consistently with investors, public listed companies enable better-informed investment decisions and demonstrate their commitment to transparency and accountability. As we continue enhancing the competitiveness and quality of Malaysia’s listed companies, effective investor engagement will remain an enabler of long-term value creation and sustainable market growth,” Johan said.
The inaugural awards aimed to recognise companies and professionals who are setting a high standard for transparency, engagement and market communication, said Bursa CEO Datuk Fad’l Mohamed.
“By spotlighting these practices, we hope to encourage more listed companies to strengthen their investor relations capabilities and help raise standards of investor engagement across the market,” he said.
He also noted that there is considerable opportunity to strengthen IR capabilities across the market and enhance issuer-investor engagement across the market.
Based on Bursa’s research, only 32% of listed companies have a dedicated internal IR function while 17% outsource the function and 51% operate without any formal IR structure.
The exchange operator and regulator said it has been building IR capabilities in the capital market through IR4U by providing practical guidance and learning opportunities for PLCs, which saw the participation of about 690 listed companies throughout 2024 and 2025.
These efforts are complemented by MY Value Up, the national capital market initiative jointly launched by the Securities Commission Malaysia and Bursa to encourage companies to strengthen fundamentals while articulating their strategies and priorities more clearly to the market.
The complete list of award winners will be featured in a special pullout in The Edge Malaysia weekly.
