MIHRM: A Well-Deserved Recognition

“. . . the hardest challenge being in the Human Resource profession is that sometimes you have to be the lawyer, the judge and the jury, all at the same time.” –Datuk P. Kamalanathan, Deputy Minister of Education 1.

Datuk P. Kamalanathan, Deputy Minister of Education 1

Powerful words for reflection were delivered by our Deputy Education Minister 1, Datuk P. Kamalanathan, a guest of honour at the Malaysian Institute of Human Resource Management (MIHRM)’s 16th Malaysia HR awards.

Because the role of HR is integral to the health and survival of an organisation, Kamalanathan dubbed HR a priceless commodity in any organisation.

It is therefore appropriate to acknowledge and recognise employers and HR leaders who are committed to developing the nation’s human capital, which is a vital component of the government’s Economic Transformation Programme, he said in his speech.

The prestigious dinner and award presentation this year drew a crowd of over 400 guests hailing from diverse industries, expertise and backgrounds.

The awards witnessed the inaugural presentation of two grand awards for the category of Employer of Choice in the MIHRM awards history; one to Telekom Malaysia Bhd (TM), for the government-linked companies (GLCs) category, and the other to SilTerra Malaysia Sdn Bhd as the overall grand award winner. (Refer to list below).

Firdaus Abdullah, CEO of SilTerra Malaysia said, “To us, winning this award means that we have been able to put in the right processes, the right vision and the right compensations, to retain (our) people.”

He encourages other employers to participate in the MIHRM HR awards as it not only impacts a company’s credibility, but positively influences hiring as well.

On the role of HR today, Norhayati Hanapiah, general manager of engagement and people brand at TM said, “If you observe the criteria of the MIHRM awards, looking at how HR is driving the business in achieving its vision and mission, we are no longer playing a supporting role. But we are one of the functions that drive the organisation.

“So it’s very important because we see HR being owned not only by HR, but also by the business leaders throughout the organisation.”

Related story: Dear HR, Have You Thought About Developing HR?

Silver Award winners of the 16th Malaysia HR Awards with Aresandiran (centre) and Datuk Kamalanathan (6th from left). From left, the winners are Robert Booth (Kerry Group Business Services (ASPAC) Sdn Bhd); Hayat Al-Mazli Bin Yahaya (Pharmaniaga Bhd); Zainudin Bin Ismail (Mass Rapid Transit Corp); Benjamin Dorsch (Arvato Systems Malaysia); Brian Tan Guan Hooi (Texchem Resources Bhd); Lim Chee Gay (AIA Bhd); Datuk P’ng Soo Hong (First Solar (M) Sdn Bhd); Monique Wong (DKSH Malaysia Sdn Bhd); Grace Tan Chai Ping (Takeda Malaysia Sdn Bhd); Kek Lay Hua (3M Malaysia Sdn Bhd); Noorul Uteh (Dell Global Business Center Sdn Bhd); Yeap Lian Choo (Monsanto Malaysia Sdn Bhd); and Natalia Navin (Hewlett Packard Enterprise).

What HR professionals will be glad to know is that MIHRM will be selecting and collating the best practices of this year’s award winners to produce a digital write-up – which would not only serve as a useful resource tool, but also provide the award winners another platform of recognition.

The event, which was held in Petaling Jaya on Oct 27, was sponsored by a leading online job portal and AIA Bhd, along with Leaderonomics as a media partner and Sapphire Events Sdn Bhd as an event partner.

To find out more about the Malaysia HR Awards, visit www.mihrm.com.