Malaysia Public Relations Awards makes a grand comeback

In its 14th edition this year, the Awards recognises the most outstanding and inspiring work in public relations among PR consultants and in-house practitioners from both the private and public sectors, as well as institutions of higher learning.

Last year’s Awards night was organised as a unique hybrid dinner event that saw 26 winners under various categories receiving their awards after its brief hiatus due to the pandemic. Director-General of Health YBhg Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah was also in attendance to receive the honorary PRCA Malaysia Leadership Award 2021.

PRCA Malaysia President Prof. Haji Mohd Said Bani C.M. Din said, “This year’s edition of MPRA will be a grander affair as normality resumes for businesses and communities alike. MPRA 2022 is one of the highlights of the industry and part of the association’s efforts to promote industry excellence and better recognition. Moving forward, we will continually strive towards elevating the standard of professionalism among industry practitioners through collaborative efforts with relevant Government agencies, the private sector and academia.”

Said Bani added, “As the endemic stage spells the start of economic recovery, audiences continue to move away from traditional media outlets towards social media and digital platforms. Technology has now become the most fundamental communication tool for organisations. The widespread adoption of new technology has transformed how businesses can approach public relations and marketing—including how they interact with the media and stakeholders.”

Meanwhile, PRCA Malaysia Honorary Secretary and Chief Judge of MPRA 2022 Stefanie Braukmann said, “To keep MPRA relevant we continually update the award categories in line with current industry trends. MPRA 2022 sees a few categories being introduced to reflect the growing power and influence of digital and social media in public relations.

“At the same time, there is a strong imperative for PR practitioners to emphasise sustainability as technology and social media have led to increased public awareness of sustainability-related issues. Today's consumers are more environmentally conscious and socially aware and they are exercising their power by choosing the businesses they support based on their ESG-related conduct and performance."

“In this current era, being a sustainable company, including establishing a green image is no longer just an advantage – it is a necessity to compete in this new market. PR is there to help businesses establish themselves in the ever-expanding sustainable market by effectively illustrating their commitment to creating positive change through their operations.”

These shifts are fast redefining the PR and communications industry and have yielded new ground that looks set to form the foundations of the foreseeable PR future. PRCA Malaysia will continue to work towards ensuring that industry practitioners would be well-equipped to leverage this development while gaining the recognition they deserve. This year’s edition of MPRA received an overwhelming response with a record number of entries submitted by the 15th October closing date and the strongest-ever participation from in-house practitioners throughout its history. The increased submissions in the Sustainability Communications category reflect the growing significance of ESG both for businesses as well as a focus area for strategic communications and growth opportunities for Public Relations.