09/06/2026

BIZ & FINANCE TUESDAY | JUNE 9, 2026

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Hallmark of excellence in environmental management

Nik Sazali appointed president and group CEO of Sirim

PETALING JAYA: Sirim Bhd has appointed Nik Sazali Nik Hussin ( pic ) as president and group CEO (PGCEO) with immediate effect. Nik Sazali brings ex

in place, introducing clearer carbon reduction initiatives and integrating environmental considerations more meaningfully into operational and strategic decision-making. However, the broader reality is that environ mental management maturity across Malaysian businesses remains uneven, particularly beyond larger corporates. Lee said, “This is why broader participation matters. Strong environmental management can no longer be viewed as relevant only to large organisations or traditionally high impact industries. As market expectations, supply chain requirements and regulatory scrutiny continue to evolve, businesses of all sizes will increasingly be expected to demonstrate more structured, measurable and credible environmental practices. We hope to see stronger SME participation in this coming cycle as SMEs are an integral part of Malaysia’s industrial and supply chain ecosystem.” The PMHA 2026/2027 cycle is open to organisations across all sectors – manu facturing, oil and gas, services, financial, food and beverages and hotels including both large enterprises and SMEs. The Prime Minister’s Hibiscus Award is jointly organised by the Malaysian International Chamber of Commerce and Industry, FMM, and the Environmental Management and Research Association of Malaysia, with the support of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability and the Department of Environment.

PETALING JAYA: As environmental expecta tions continue to evolve across global markets, Malaysian businesses are increasingly being challenged to demonstrate stronger environ mental management practices grounded in measurable action, operational discipline and accountability. Against this backdrop, the Prime Minister’s Hibiscus Award (PMHA) Committee 2026/2027 is now inviting businesses across Malaysia to participate in one of the country’s longest-standing award platforms recognising excellence in environmental management. Introduced in 1996, PMHA has long served as a credible national benchmark for organisations seeking to assess, strengthen and showcase their environmental manage ment practices. More than an award, PMHA provides companies with an independent and structured assessment to gauge if good environmental considerations are embedded across operations, governance, compliance, risk management and internal processes. PMHA 2026/2027 organising committee chairman Jacob Lee Chor Kok, who is also Federation of Malaysian Manufacturing (FMM) president, said, “Environmental o Businesses across Malaysia invited to participate in Prime Minister’s Hibiscus Award 2026-2027 KUALA LUMPUR: Gas Malaysia Bhd, a unit of MMC Corporation Bhd, took a significant step in strengthening Malaysia’s energy security with the signing of a joint development agreement with Tokyo Gas Co Ltd and VTTI BV for the proposed development of a liquefied natural gas (LNG) regasification terminal (RGT) in Yan, Kedah. In a statement, Gas Malaysia said the project marks a significant step in strengthening

tensive institutional know ledge of Sirim and nearly three decades of leader ship experience spanning commercial banking, higher education, man agement consultancy and the government-linked sector. A chartered accountant by training, he has built a career in organisational transformation, corporate governance, financial sustainability, business growth and talent development. Prior to this appointment, Nik Sazali served as acting PGCEO since August 2025. He previously held the position of CEO of Sirim Academy Sdn Bhd from March 2023, where he led transformation and growth initiatives that strengthened the organisation’s position as a leading provider of training, consultancy and capability development services. Under his leadership, Sirim Academy ex panded its role in supporting industry advance ment in quality, technology, sustainability and technical and vocational education and training. Sirim chairman Datuk Khairol Anuar Mohamad Tawi said that the appointment of Nik Sazali comes at a pivotal moment as Sirim enters its sixth decade, with a continued focus on strengthening the capacity of Malaysian industry to innovate, compete and grow.

Participation in the Prime Minister’s Hibiscus Award 2026-2027 is now open. management can no longer be viewed as a standalone or performative exercise. Busi nesses today are expected to demonstrate robust governance systems, clearer accounta bility and measurable progress in identifying, managing and reducing environmental impact across their operations and value chains. “What makes PMHA important is that it focuses on good practices and continuous improvement. The assessment process allows organisations to identify gaps, benchmark progress and strengthen the maturity of their practices over time, while encouraging a more structured and results-oriented approach to environmental management.” The just concluded 2024/2025 PMHA cycle showed encouraging progress across parti cipating organisations. More companies had formal environmental management systems Malaysia’s long-term energy resilience by introducing a new LNG entry point in the northern region of Peninsular Malaysia. RGT Yan is expected to enhance supply flexibility, diversify gas sources, and support the growing energy needs of the region’s industrial and power sectors, it said. Envisaged as an offshore floating storage and regasification unit located off Pulau Bunting, Yan, the facility is expected to have a capacity of up to

He added that throughout his tenure, Nik Sazali demonstrated the strategic clarity and business acumen required for the role, and that the board remains fully committed to supporting his leadership as Sirim advances its mandate. Gas Malaysia advances energy security, resilience via tie-up with Tokyo Gas, VTTI Interested organisations are encouraged to register for the PMHA 2026/2027 cycle via the official Prime Minister’s Hibiscus Award website at https://www.hibiscusaward.com/ .

mission’s issuance of the letter to proceed in March 2026, the project is now advancing to its next phase of development, including technical, commercial, and regulatory workstreams, as it moves towards a final investment decision. Once completed, RGT Yan is expected to strengthen Malaysia’s energy security, support economic growth in the northern region, and enhance the resilience of the national gas supply system, it said. – Bernama

six million tonnes per annum. “With an estimated development cost of between RM2 billion and RM3 billion, the project represents a major long-term investment in Malaysia’s energy infrastructure,” said Gas Malaysia, adding that under the collaboration, it will serve as the project lead, working alongside Tokyo Gas and VTTI to combine complementary strengths across the LNG value chain. It said that following the Energy Com