This article first appeared in City & Country, The Edge Malaysia Weekly on January 24, 2022 - January 30, 2022

Launched in 2017 by EdgeProp Malaysia, the Best Managed & Sustainable Property Awards was created to benchmark Malaysian property management practices against the best-in-class globally. Since then, it has not only raised the bar for the industry, but also kick-started the urgently needed conversation among property stakeholders for Malaysian real estate to be designed, built and maintained sustainably.

In an effort to promote the awards and the competition’s objectives, it will now be hosted by and on The Edge Malaysia’s platform, and will assume the name The Edge Malaysia Best Managed & Sustainable Property Awards (BMSPA) 2022.

Nippon Paint is the main partner for BMSPA 2022 while Panasonic is the supporting partner. The awards are endorsed by the Ministry of Housing and Local Government (KPKT).

BMSPA 2022 is also supported by the Singapore Association of Property and Facility Managers, Architect Centre, the Building Managers Association of Malaysia, the Institute of Landscape Architects Malaysia (ILAM), Malaysian Institute of Professional Facility Managers, the Malaysian REIT Managers Association, the Real Estate and Housing Developers’ Association Malaysia and EdgeProp.my.

The outbreak of Covid-19, which has crippled economies across the globe, has shown the relevance of BMSPA — the first awards of their kind in Malaysia and the region, says The Edge Malaysia editor emeritus and chief judge Au Foong Yee.

Safety, security, sustainable quality property management, notable value creation, indoor air quality (IAQ) and crisis preparedness are among the key criteria of the awards.

“A winning project is judged beyond mere design and aesthetics. It must be the best-in-class in attributes and areas that are usually shielded from public scrutiny, such as management processes, systems and use of space,” says Au, who has been appointed a member of the newly set-up Panel of Experts at KPKT.

“Unfortunately, these are the very considerations property buyers remain ignorant of, but would certainly regret in the days to come. Through these awards, we seek to educate property buyers on the boxes to tick when investing in the new normal.”

Meanwhile, as a corporation involved in the chemical industry, Nippon Paint hopes to see more eco-friendly buildings that will help the environment and communities, as well as boost properties’ return on investment.

“Nippon Paint believes in pushing the boundaries with product innovation. As volatile organic compounds (VOC) contribute to air pollution and various health problems, we offer low VOC in our products, ranging from floor to roof and everything in between for safer and better IAQ,” says Yaw Seng Heng, group managing director of Nippon Paint Malaysia Group.

He highlights that sustainability provides a safer living environment for better health and well-being of the community. “The built environment consumes a significant amount of energy and resources to improve the quality of living environments, both outdoor and indoor, benefiting the lives of people. 

“At Nippon Paint, we strive to go hand in hand with a sustainable future for all. We aim to help economic growth without compromising on the environment or jeopardising the needs of future generations.”

Panasonic Malaysia managing director (QAFL Business Promotion Office) Ichiro Suganuma says IAQ is especially crucial to future-proofing a property and contributing to a better and more sustainable world.

“Panasonic’s corporate slogan is ‘A Better Life, A Better World’ and one of our sustainable goals is to have our companies’ business processes achieve CO zero emissions by 2030. We ensure our products and solutions are aligned to support sustainability initiatives by providing good indoor air quality through efficient use of energy and other resources,” he adds.

“In the pandemic era, Panasonic helps to mitigate concerns about indoor air quality through ventilation, humidity control and, more importantly, nanoeX technology, as our patented air purification technology to create a safer indoor environment. We aim to create a better society that is safe, sustainable and with enriched livelihoods through air and water technologies — these are Panasonic’s core strengths.”

For the BMSPA this year, there are 10 main categories open to all stratified and non-stratified buildings, managed in-house or by property managers. Of these, eight categories — covering residential, office, mixed-use development, retail and sustainable affordable housing — are each sub-divided into two segments to reflect the age of the property (below 10 years or 10 years and above). On top of that, there are three special awards — The Edge Malaysia-ILAM Malaysia’s Sustainable Landscape Award, Editor’s Choice Award and The Edge Malaysia’s Responsible Developer: Building Sustainable Development Award.

BMSPA 2022 is now open for submission of entries until March 11. Details are available at bmspa.theedgemarkets.com.

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