🌏 ESG & Competitiveness: Future-Proofing Asia’s Enterprises

At the 2026 Asia Economic & Entrepreneurship Summit (AEES), Adj. Prac. Prof. Cheah Kok Hoong, President of Persatuan ESG Malaysia (ESGAM), joined an esteemed panel of entrepreneurs and industry leaders for:

📌 Session Two: Building Asia’s Resilient and Responsible Enterprises
The session explored how SMEs, family businesses and large corporates can build resilient, responsible and scalable enterprises amid a rapidly changing business landscape including the growing importance of ESG, access to capital, technology, succession and sustainable growth.

👥 Panellist included:
Tan Sri Rastam Mohd Isa , Chairman, Perbadanan Usahawan Nasional Berhad (PUNB);
Datin Dr. (h.c) Hajah Hartini Osman, Global President, G100 Chair for Philanthropy, Business & Poverty Eradication;
Ms. Shan Loy, Manager , Strategic Partnerships & Networking, Taylor’s Centre for Family Business;
Mr. Sean Poi CEO and Co-founder, Codemax Sdn. Bhd.;
Dato’ Azlin Ahmad Shaharbi , Former President, PENIAGAWATI;
The Fei Ming , Managing Director and Chief Investment Officer – Global Private Equity

The session was moderated by Prof. Annie Koh , Professor Emeritus of Finance (Practice), Singapore Management University and EXCO Member, ASEAN Economic Club.

🌱 Key takeaways from Adj. Prac. Prof. Cheah’s sharing:
🔹 ESG as a starting point. ESG can serve as a practical platform to support SMEs in their sustainability journey.
🤝 Building an ESG community. With 300+ ESGAM members, there is a growing community committed to advancing ESG practices in Malaysia.
🌐 Understanding global opportunities . Businesses need to recognise opportunities arising from evolving global ESG requirements, including cross-border mechanisms and supply-chain expectations.
📚 Awareness and readiness. With more than 20 ESG-related policies and frameworks emerging in Malaysia, businesses need greater awareness and preparedness.
🏢 Supporting the supply chain. Large corporations and listed companies have an important role in supporting their SME and downstream suppliers through capacity building, training and knowledge sharing.

💡 The message is clear: ESG is not just about compliance , it is about building businesses that are resilient, responsible and ready for future growth .

#ESGAM #AEES2026 #AsiaEconomicEntrepreneurshipSummit #ESG #Sustainability #SMEs #ResponsibleBusiness #BusinessResilience #SustainableGrowth