An in-depth examination of the MDA methodology


MRCB group chief operating officer Kwan Joon Hoe (second from left) receiving the trophy from Deputy Local Government Development Minister Akmal Nasrullah as Star Media Group chief executive officer Alex Yeow (right) and FIABCI-Malaysia president Firdaus Musa (left) look on.

MRCB group chief operating officer Kwan Joon Hoe (second from left) receiving the trophy from Deputy Local Government Development Minister Akmal Nasrullah as Star Media Group chief executive officer Alex Yeow (right) and FIABCI-Malaysia president Firdaus Musa (left) look on.

Tightening up the criteria selection of performing property companies

THE Malaysia Developers Awards (MDA) 2023 serves to give due recognition to deserving property developers for their contributions to the industry and nation. Based on quantitative and qualitative attributes, MDA is divided into two components — Top of the Charts (TOTC) and Special Awards.

For TOTC, which takes into account Bursa Malaysia-listed property companies, the rankings will be published annually. All companies listed in Bursa Malaysia’s property sector are automatically considered for the awards. For the bigger conglomerations, only their property division will be assessed.

The TOTC is divided into two tiers based on their market capitalisation as of April 30, 2023:

  • TOP 10 (RM1bil and above)
  • TOP 10 (below RM1bil)

Selecting the winners

The TOTC is divided into quantitative and qualitative components with a focus on performing property companies. Some amendment was done to this year’s methodology following a post mortem with the organising committee. For this year, the quantitative component is divided into four attributes: Revenue Growth, Net Profit Growth, Stability and Sustainability. Collectively, this component now contributes 50% to the total score, instead of 70%.

For the qualitative component, the emphasis is on Placemaking Ingenuity, ESG (environmental, social and governance) Initiatives, Creative Digitalisation and transparency. This component is worth 50% and the breakdown will be discussed in later pages. 

Based on their performance solely on the quantitative attributes, the top 20 scorers from the RM1bil and above tier and the top 20 scorers from the below RM1bil tier were invited to participate in this year’s MDA.

TOTC quantitative rankings – Revenue Growth

The Revenue Growth attribute is based on a company’s performance over three years from 2020 to 2022, with 2019 serving as the base year. Companies that register consistent positive growths over the three years are given preference. The companies are also assessed using a modified compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) formula, with a preference for those companies scoring a higher percentage. For example, in the RM1bil and above category, Malaysia Resources Corporation Bhd (MRCB) achieved three consecutive years of positive revenue growth and a modified CAGR of 19.8%. This achievement puts MRCB at the top for this attribute. 

Of the top 10 rankers in the TOTC RM1bil and above category, MRCB was the only company in the Top 10 that saw three years of positive growth. However, it must be noted that while a company may register negative growth, it does not mean it has not registered a positive revenue, only that it was earning a lower revenue.

Similarly, in the TOTC below RM1bil category, NCT Alliance Bhd also achieved three consecutive years of positive revenue growth and a modified CAGR of 63.28%. This places it in the top spot for this attribute. It is also noteworthy to point out that NCT Alliance was also the only company to register three consecutive years of positive revenue growth in the Top 5.

NCT Alliance executive director Yap Chun Theng gestures a thumbs up after receiving his trophy.

NCT Alliance executive director Yap Chun Theng gestures a thumbs up after receiving his trophy.

Ranking by revenue growth

RM1bil and above tier
1 MRCB 
2 HCK Capital Group Bhd
3 Mah Sing Group Bhd
4 IOI Properties Group Bhd
5 OSK Holdings Bhd
6 Sime Darby Property Bhd
7 Matrix Concepts Holding Bhd
8 UEM Sunrise Bhd
9 IGB Bhd
10 Tropicana Corporation Bhd

Ranking by revenue growth

Below RM1bil tier
1 NCT Alliance Bhd
2 LBS Bina Group Bhd
3 Paramount Corporation Bhd
4 JKG Land Bhd
5 Glomac Bhd

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