Prime Minister’s Hibiscus Award 2026/2027 Calls on Malaysian Businesses to Advance Environmental Management Excellence

As environmental expectations continue to evolve across global markets, Malaysian businesses are increasingly being challenged to demonstrate stronger environmental 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 Management 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.

The opening of the 2026/2027 Cycle comes at a time when strong environmental management is becoming increasingly important to business resilience, market access and long-term competitiveness. As expectations around sustainability reporting, supply chain accountability and responsible business practices continue to evolve, businesses are being evaluated not only on commitments, but also on the strength of the correct systems, controls and accountability mechanisms supporting them.

Speaking as Chairman of the PMHA Organising Committee 2026/2027, Mr Jacob Lee Chor Kok, President of the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturing (FMM) said, “Environmental management can no longer be viewed as a standalone or performative exercise. Businesses today are expected to demonstrate robust governance systems, clearer accountability 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 participating organisations. More Companies had formal environmental management systems 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 environmental management maturity across Malaysian businesses remains uneven, particularly beyond larger Corporates.

Mr Jacob Lee continued, “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 2024/2025 Cycle recorded 81 participating organisations — the highest participation since the Award’s inception. The milestone reflected growing confidence in the Award’s stature and a broader willingness among Malaysian businesses to benchmark their environmental management practices against recognised standards and their peers.

The PMHA 2026/2027 Cycle is open to organisations across all sectors — Manufacturing, Oil and Gas, Services, Financial, Food and Beverages and Hotels including both large enterprises and SMEs. Participants will undergo a 2-stage assessment process comprising written submissions and on-site evaluations covering areas such as environmental governance, compliance, operational management and carbon footprint management.

The Prime Minister’s Hibiscus Award is jointly organised by the Malaysian International Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MICCI), Federation of Malaysian Manufacturing (FMM), and the Environmental Management & Research Association of Malaysia (ENSEARCH), with the support of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability (NRES) and the Department of Environment (DOE).

Participation is now OPEN, and 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/.