Forward Faster Symposium 2025 Gathers Leaders to Accelerate Malaysia’s Corporate Sustainability Ambitions
- UN Global Compact Network Malaysia & Brunei
- Jun 9
- 4 min read
KUALA LUMPUR, 5 June — Despite economic headwinds and escalating geopolitical tensions, Malaysian corporate leaders are strengthening their environmental, social and governance (ESG) commitments and positioning sustainability as a strategic tool to manage risk, drive long-term value, and contribute to national progress.
Across ASEAN, home to over 670 million people, climate threats are intensifying. Floods, droughts and extreme weather events are becoming more frequent, with real implications for communities, supply chains and long-term business continuity. In Malaysia, sustainability is no longer optional. These urgent realities shaped the core discussions at the Forward Faster Symposium 2025, held today at Perdana Hall, MIDA Sentral.
Organised by the UN Global Compact Network Malaysia & Brunei (UNGCMYB), the event brought together over 200 participants, including high-level executives, sustainability practitioners and business leaders. The symposium explored how companies can embed sustainability into their business models to remain resilient and competitive in an increasingly complex global environment.
With the theme ‘Accelerating Corporate Sustainability Commitments for a Resilient Future”, the one-day event featured in-depth discussions, and high-level dialogues focused on the evolving role of business in delivering on the 2030 Agenda.
Faroze Nadar, Executive Director of UNGCMYB, said during his opening remarks that while the relevance of ESG principles is being questioned, the climate crisis cannot be ignored. “Business resilience and national competitiveness are increasingly tied to sustainability. This symposium is not just a platform for discussion, it is a call to action. We must accelerate efforts, scale impact, and bring more companies into the journey.”
In her keynote address, YB Dato Hajjah Hanifah Hajar Taib, Deputy Minister of Economy, stressed that sustainability must be embedded into the country’s economic planning. “The Ministry of Economy plays a central role in aligning Malaysia’s development with the SDGs through our national plans, policy coordination, and stakeholder engagement. From implementing the SDG Roadmap and 12th Malaysia Plan to advancing green growth and inclusive development, our focus is on enabling sustainable, low-carbon and resilient economic progress. Achieving these goals requires greater private sector action, transparent reporting and shared responsibility.”
Welcoming attendees, YBhg. Datuk Sikh Shamsul Ibrahim Sikh Abdul Majid, CEO of MIDA, underlined Malaysia’s industrial ambition, “As the government’s principal agency for promoting investments and shaping our industrial landscape, MIDA’s task is to chart a clear path for Malaysia. One that positions us—not only as a competitive destination for capital—but as a regional and global hub for quality, innovation, and sustainability. At MIDA, we are working with companies to green their operations through innovative new solutions and business models. We are enhancing policy frameworks to prioritise low-carbon infrastructure, providing fiscal incentives to attract ESG-compliant investments, and ensuring that sustainability benchmarks are embedded in evaluation processes."
The inauguration of this event was commenced by YBhg. Datuk Sikh Shamsul Ibrahim Sikh Abdul Majid, Chief Executive Officer, Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA), through his welcoming remarks. Throughout the symposium, speakers emphasised the importance of corporate ambition, cross-sector collaboration and credible target-setting.
The CEO Dialogue brought together Kellee Kam, Group CEO of Alliance Bank Malaysia Berhad; Dato’ Fad’l Mohamed, CEO of Bursa Malaysia; Mohd Azharuddin Mat Sah, President and Group CEO of Prasarana Malaysia Berhad; and Foo Su Lynn, Chief of Staff at Astro, who discussed how Malaysian businesses are maintaining sustainability momentum despite economic and regulatory headwinds. A fireside chat featuring Sr Dr Suraya Ismail, Director of Research at Khazanah Research Institute; Rueban Manokara, Global Lead for Carbon Finance and Markets Taskforce at WWF; and Abe Lim, Co-Chair Next Gen Board, Client Earth Org & Founder, Purpose Plastics, examined how climate diplomacy, financing, and inequality intersect in an increasingly fragmented world. The panel session, The Trinity of Tech: Revolutionising Sustainability, highlighted innovation from across the ecosystem, with Jason Ng Chin Aik, Founder and Manufacturing VP of Cell AgriTech; Arfan Arlanda, CEO of Jejakin; Yik Swofilen, Director of Innovation at TNG Digital; and Angeline Seah, Chief Product Officer at Virtualtech Frontier, sharing how digitalisation, smart technologies and data are shaping the future of corporate sustainability.
The symposium also witnessed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) exchange, where UN Global Compact Network Malaysia & Brunei formalised a strategic partnership with the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) to enhance collaboration in promoting responsible business practices and advancing sustainability across Malaysian industries.
Forward Faster Symposium 2025 builds on the global Forward Faster initiative by the United Nations Global Compact, which encourages companies to adopt measurable targets across five critical areas: Climate Action, Water Resilience, Living Wage, Gender Equality, and Finance and Investment. As Malaysia navigates ongoing transitions, platforms like this play a critical role in supporting private sector leadership and policy alignment.
UNGCMYB extends its appreciation to all partners, including Alliance Bank Malaysia Berhad and Prasarana Malaysia Berhad as event patrons, and MIDA as our strategic partner, for their support in making the Forward Faster Symposium 2025 a success.
As part of the world’s largest corporate sustainability initiative, UNGCMYB remains committed to empowering Malaysian and Bruneian businesses to align with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, making businesses ‘sustainability fit and ESG-ready’.
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