PETALING JAYA: Winners of the Star Outstanding Business Awards (SOBA) 2021 were recognised as the creme de la creme of the local non-listed business community at the SOBA 2021 Gala Night.

Winning this year’s coveted Malaysian Business of the Year awards were Alpro Alliance Sdn Bhd in the above-RM25mil annual turnover tier and Oasis Swiss Sdn Bhd for the up to RM25mil annual turnover tier.

Alpro Alliance was also awarded platinum for the Best in CSR and Best in Customer Service under the above-RM25mil annual turnover tier, while Oasis Swiss won platinum for the Best Use of Technology and gold for Best Brand in the up to RM25mil annual turnover tier.

Star Media Group Bhd (SMG) group chief executive officer Alex Yeow opined that SOBA 2021 had been particularly memorable, as the submissions had doubled from the previous year.

“This, to me, is a reflection of the maturity, professionalism and depth of understanding of participating companies. Year on year, the quality of submissions improved vastly.

“It is clear our SMEs are well ahead of the curve and are ready to take their place among public listed companies,” he said.

SOBA 2021 guest of honour, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Economy) Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed congratulated the winners on their well-deserved accomplishments.

“Programmes such as the SOBA Awards are one of the most effective avenues that allow organisations to evaluate and reflect on their past performances. It helps small and medium enterprises (SMEs) better understand what works, what does not and, more importantly, what more can be done,” he said.

The number of participants had increased impressively this year, said RHB Bank Bhd group chief marketing officer Abdul Sani Abdul Murad.

“The participation this year had been very encouraging because after two years of facing a difficult period, we start to see a lot of SMEs coming back. The rise of SMEs is inevitable and it’s good to see that they’re much more confident in facing these challenges. And tonight is a night to celebrate their successes,” he said.

PKT Logistics Group Sdn Bhd group chief executive officer and managing director Datuk Seri Dr Michael Tio said that as the country transitioned into the endemic phase of Covid-19, businesses were seeking to strengthen their branding.

“To do that, SOBA is one of the key awards programmes that can bring them the visibility they need.

“Businesses are starting to reap the benefits of the strategies they had worked on in 2021, so they can now enjoy the benefits. It’s a good time for celebration, but businesses must also not forget to re-strategise the company and move forward again,” he said.

Credit Guarantee Corporation Malaysia Bhd (CGC) president and CEO Datuk Mohd Zamree Mohd Ishak further noted that businesses were excited to ride the wave of recovery with the reopening of the borders between Malaysia and Singapore.

“CGC has been partnering with SOBA for the past seven years and we believe the objectives of SOBA are very much in line with our vision to promote the growth and development of competitive and dynamic Malaysian SMEs,” he said.

Lastly, Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (Matrade) deputy CEO Abu Bakar Yusof noted that SOBA had been very instrumental in growing smaller companies.

“It is one of the best platforms for us to witness the success of SMEs.

“We hope they will become good examples for other SMEs to emulate their success and nurture and grow their businesses, not only locally but globally,” he said.

The SOBA 2021 Gala Night also saw the recognition of two companies under the Maxis Awards, with SEAD Industries Sdn Bhd and Viva Odyssey Sdn Bhd emerging as winners of the second batch of the Maxis Awards.

The Maxis Awards recognises innovative Malaysian ideas and projects which benefit Malaysian society.

Maxis has committed RM5mil in support of the project to recognise 12 winners throughout the year.

Maxis Business SME head Kevin Lee said: “Our aim is to find companies with these great ideas, via a grant and our Maxis Business solutions to help them realise their projects.”SOBA 2021 is organised by SMG with CGC, Maxis, PKT Logistics Group and RHB as main sponsors and Matrade as the official trade promotion partner. Supported by the International Trade and Industry Ministry and Bursa Malaysia, it is audited by BDO. 988 and Suria are official media partners.

The gala was held yesterday at One World Hotel here, with Carlsberg as the official beer sponsor.

For more information on SOBA, call SMG Events at 017-231 1789 or visit www.soba.com.my.