Sultan of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah with the former Star Media Group chairman Datuk Fu Ah Kiow (seventh from left) and former managing director and chief executive officer Datuk Seri Wong Chun Wai (left) taking a group photo with the All-Stars Award winners of 2016. – SHAARI CHEMAT/The Star

A brief history of the StarProperty Awards 

When StarProperty first mooted the awards, it was in 2015 but it was only a year later that the StarProperty.my Awards, as it was called then, came into fruition. While it was a fresh start, it was not less a prominent affair drawing in a number of prominent property developers like SP Setia Bhd and IOI Properties Group to vie for the trophies.

The inaugural event was graced by royalty as Sultan of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah officiated at the gala dinner. Over the next six years, the StarProperty Awards grew stronger and more prominent as more categories were added to one of the nation’s most prestigious accolades.

Even the outbreak of the Covid-19 virus did not stop the show from running as the award presentation was conducted virtually, in accordance with social distance, which everyone was adhering to.

The rebranding of StarProperty.my Awards to StarProperty Awards in 2020 also saw a transformation in its official trophy to a more sustainable and environmental-friendly one – a trophy made from recycled wood to reflect today’s climate of environmental, social and governance (ESG) conscious people. 

Here is a quick recap of the StarProperty Awards over the years:

2016

Year 2016 is a prominent milestone for StarProperty, as it marked the inception of the StarProperty.my Awards, a prestigious occasion to celebrate, commemorate and decorate the top developers of Malaysia. It started with 10 categories and two All-Stars Awards, namely the Top Ranked Developers Award and The Readers’ and  Voters’ Choice Award.

Sultan of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah shaking hands with Star Media Group Bhd former chairman Datuk Fu Ah Kiow (sixth from left) as former group managing director and chief executive officer Datuk Seri Wong Chun Wai (sixth from right) and the 2017 All-Stars Award winners look on.

2017 

The StarProperty.my Awards, as it was known then, returned to introduce eight new award categories. This was to reflect the various values that collectively form the basis of quality in town-making, development building, and ultimately, the notion of housing the nation’s people. Due to the great response from participants, this award continues to be held annually as a hallmark of the StarProperty tradition.

Raja Muda Selangor Tengku Amir Shah Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah at the StarProperty.my Awards Night 2018 with Star Media Group former chairman Datuk Fu Ah Kiow (on Tengku Amir’s left) and former group MD and CEO Datuk Seri Wong Chun Wai (on Tengku Amir’s right) with the All-Stars Award winners of 2018. – AZHAR MAHFOF/The Star

2018

Entering its third year, the StarProperty.my Awards went beyond the Peninsular to extend its influence into East Malaysia. Four new award categories had been added to recognise a wider variety of property design elements and the added geographical location of participants’ projects. Among these new categories are the Borneo Star Award and the Safe and Sound Award.

Former Housing and Local Government Minister Zuraida Kamaruddin (seventh from left) with Star Media Group former chairman Datuk Fu Ah Kiow (sixth from left) and advisor Datuk Seri Wong Chun Wai (seventh from right) sharing the happy moment with the 2019 All-Stars Award winners. – RAJA FAISAL HISHAN/The Star

2019

The StarProperty.my Awards further expanded to include hotels, landmark public buildings, luxury developments according to price range, and most importantly, acts of kindness, such as corporate social responsibility programs designed to give back to the people. Subject to these criteria, five new award categories had been created, such as the Big Heart Award, the WOW (Public Building) Award, and the Creative Touch (Hotel) Award. 

Star Media Group Bhd former chairman Datuk Fu Ah Kiow (centre) and StarProperty former general manager Jason Yap (sixth from right) with the 2020 All-Stars Award winners.

2020

To reflect the rebranding exercise done in the second half of 2019, the StarProperty.my Awards was rebranded as StarProperty Awards. To further bolster the awards, a list of stringent measurements had been introduced — qualitative and quantitative assessments designed to better vet through, and determine the best developers among them all. Three awards catered to the local hotel scene were also introduced to boost the award categories to 25. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the awards ceremony was conducted virtually.

StarProperty Awards 2021 group photo. SMG chairman Tan Sri Chor Chee Heung (front row fifth from left) and SMG CEO Alex Yeow with the winners.

2021

The celebration of the sixth installation of the StarProperty Awards was held in Cyberspace for the second time, capitalising on the experience gained from the previous virtual event to create greater excitement and pomp. Continuing to break new grounds as winners celebrate their hard-won trophies, StarProperty, the property division of Star Media Group (SMG), conducted the auspicious event in SMG’s Studio Maya, a green screen studio to cater to creating digital content. Despite of the multiple variants of the movement control order (MCO), the awards still garnered entries for 26 categories. 

2022

This year’s StarProperty Awards was celebrated on a grand scale, after two years of holding the event in cyberspace. Held at the Shangri-La Hotel Kuala Lumpur, Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Seri Reezal Merican Naina Merican was the guest of honour. The gala dinner drew over 500 celebrants from the participating property developers as well as invited guests comprising the judges, sponsors and industry partners.

What’s new this year:

1. All-Stars Awards 2022 is based on the positive company performance
2. Three awards were introduced to reflect the trend of the property industry, namely Digital Strategist Award for the best digital marketing strategies undertaken by property developers; the Highlander Award for the best property development in the highlands; and the Placemaker Award for property development with the best placemaking facilities.
3. Over 110 entries were submitted for the 30 award categories, a new record for the StarProperty Awards.

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