KUALA LUMPUR (Sin Chew Daily) — Desmond Tan, Partner of the independent auditing firm for the second Sin Chew Business Awards Grant Thornton, said he realized through his two years taking part in the auditing exercise that there are indeed many small and medium-sized companies with good prospects for listing in the near future.

He said through site auditing of nominated companies, he had seen that many SMEs were indeed exceptionally managed, with real innovation and creativity.

During the auditing process, Tan said that they would give priority to the financial health of a nominated company, and how it has created its own branding as well as technological innovation and whether it has explored the global export markets.

Meanwhile, Grant Thornton Malaysia senior executive director Seah Siew Yun said Sin Chew Business Awards had evolved itself into a veritable symbol of excellence for SMEs in a wide range of businesses.

She said the business awards is an important channel for small and medium-sized companies to to build up their brands and business confidence, adding that through participating in this coveted event, these companies have come to understand the real specifications and requirements for a respected corporate entity as well as its future operational directions.

Also through this event, she said companies could gain broader exposure and practical interactions with their peers.

The second Sin Chew Business Awards is organized jointly by Sin Chew Daily and MCIL Multimedia Sdn Bhd, both under Sin Chew Media Corporation. CIMB Bank is the exclusive sponsor of this event.

Among the supporting partners are the Federation of Chinese Associations Malaysia (Hua Zong), the Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia (ACCCIM), Small Medium Industry Association of Malaysia (SMIAM), Malaysian Retailer-Chains Association (MRCA), Persatuan Usahawan Maju Malaysia (PUMM), Branding Association of Malaysia, the Malaysian Institute of Corporate Governance (MICG), Junior Chamber International (JCI) Malaysia and JCI Kuala Lumpur Mandarin (JCIKLM).

Grant Thornton Malaysia is the auditor of this event. The other event partners include Fine Paper Takeo Sdn Bhd, Skynet and Setia City Convention Centre.