59 award recognitions celebrate corporate excellence, entrepreneurship and digital innovation, with distinguished dignitaries presenting awards at the prestigious ceremony
Malaysia’s corporate heavyweights, emerging entrepreneurs and digital innovators took centre stage at the BusinessToday Industry Choice Awards 2026 and PC.com Readers’ Choice Awards 2026, as a full-house gathering celebrated outstanding achievements in leadership, entrepreneurship and innovation.
Held at Hilton Petaling Jaya Hotel on Wednesday (Oct 28), the prestigious joint ceremony featured 59 award presentations spanning banking, technology, healthcare, property, energy, education, retail and entrepreneurship, reflecting the breadth of industries driving Malaysia’s economic and digital transformation.
Adding prestige to the evening were Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) Chairman Tengku Datuk Seri Utama Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz, Japanese Ambassador to Malaysia H.E. Shikata Noriyuki and Timor-Leste Ambassador to Malaysia H.E. Lisualdo Menezes Coimbra Gaspar, who graced the occasion and presented awards to recipients.
Tengku Zafrul also delivered an address during the ceremony, underscoring the event’s significance as a platform recognising Malaysian business achievements and regional ambitions.
Celebrating Excellence Beyond Borders
The BusinessToday Industry Choice Awards, themed “Malaysia, ASEAN and Beyond”, honoured organisations demonstrating leadership, innovation, sustainable growth and the ambition to expand their competitiveness across regional and international markets.
Among the recipients were AFFIN Bank, AFFIN DIVENTIUM, AmanahRaya Trustees Berhad, CelcomDigi AIX, Institut Jantung Negara (IJN), KPJ Healthcare, Sime Darby Property, Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB), TM ONE, UEM Edgenta and Sunway Healthcare Group.
The evening also paid tribute to outstanding individual achievements, with Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Hussain, Chairman of Lembaga Tabung Haji, receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award, recognising his contributions to Malaysia’s corporate landscape.
Dato’ Hasan Azhari Haji Idris, Chief Executive Officer of Invest Selangor Berhad, was honoured with the CEO of the Year Award, while actress and entrepreneur Izara Aishah received the Best Entrepreneur in Digital recognition.
Other special honours went to Village Park Restaurant owner and co-founder Datuk Seri Mohd Shamil Ngoh Abdullah, who was named Best F&B Entrepreneur of the Year, and Yayasan Pahang, which received the Best in Social Impact & Economic Empowerment award.
A Special Recognition with Unifi Business
In a special segment held in partnership with Unifi Business, the BusinessToday Industry Choice Awards 2026 placed the spotlight on five outstanding small and medium enterprises (SMEs) across diverse industries, recognising their achievements in entrepreneurship, innovation and business growth.
The five recipients were Tomaz, recognised as Best Retail SME, Miaow Miaow Food Products Sdn Bhd (Best Manufacturing SME) Green & Natural Industries Sdn Bhd (Best SME Exporter) Magic Brew Box Sdn Bhd (Best Food and Beverage SME) and Nexus TAC Sdn Bhd (Best Digital Transformation SME).
The dedicated segment underscored the importance of SMEs to Malaysia’s economic landscape, celebrating businesses that have demonstrated resilience, adaptability and the ambition to expand.
The partnership with Unifi Business also reinforced the importance of empowering SMEs through innovation and digitalisation, enabling them to strengthen their competitiveness and pursue new growth opportunities.
BusinessToday Managing Editor Selva Rajan said the recognition extended beyond corporate milestones to celebrate the determination and conviction behind every success story.
“For some, this award recognises decades of dedication. For others, it acknowledges the courage to pursue an idea that many people initially doubted. For the emerging companies among us, perhaps tonight will be the encouragement they need to pursue even greater ambitions,” he said.
Recognising Consumer-Driven Innovation
Meanwhile, the PC.com Readers’ Choice Awards 2026, themed “Humanity in Intelligence”, honoured technology brands, digital services and innovations that earned consumer confidence and delivered meaningful value.
Drawing more than 150 nominations across diverse categories, the awards celebrated achievements in connectivity, cybersecurity, digital payments, artificial intelligence, education and consumer technology.
Among the recipients were Asia Pacific University of Technology & Innovation (APU), Kaspersky, M+ Global, Setel, TNG Digital, U Mobile, Unifi, Unifi TV and Sunway University.
APU secured three recognitions for Best Tech University, Best AI University and Best Future Ready University, while Setel received two awards for Best Fuel Payment App and Best Fuel Rewards App.
Other notable recipients included CommercePay, recognised for Outstanding Payment Gateway for Business; FWG Security Services, Best Integrated Security Technology Provider; and myTNB, Best Public Utility App.
Determined through readers’ votes, the awards reinforced the growing importance of consumer trust, accessibility and people-centred innovation in Malaysia’s digital economy.
A Celebration of Recognition and Appreciation
Beyond the award presentations, guests enjoyed a series of lucky draws featuring hospitality experiences, travel packages, lifestyle gifts and other prizes.
The evening’s prize contributors included AFFIN Bank, Batik Air, Getha, StarDream Cruises, Hilton Petaling Jaya, IJN, Shangri-La Kuala Lumpur, Ascott Star KLCC Kuala Lumpur, Hyatt Centric Kota Kinabalu, Good Virtues Co and BadLab, among others.
The grand prize draw featured a luxury cruise experience aboard Genting Dream, alongside business-class return flights to Osaka and a premium latex mattress.
The full-house celebration built on the momentum of the previous edition, which marked the 25th anniversary of the PC.com Readers’ Choice Awards and the introduction of the BusinessToday Industry Choice Awards.
Bringing together established corporations, industry pioneers, emerging entrepreneurs and technology innovators, the event reinforced the importance of recognising excellence across Malaysia’s corporate and digital ecosystems.
Together, the two platforms reaffirmed their respective commitments — “Chosen by industry. Recognised by BusinessToday” and “Chosen by readers. Recognised by PC.com” — while celebrating the businesses and individuals setting new benchmarks for Malaysia’s future.
