KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 29, 2022 - (JCN Newswire) -  Hektar Asset Management Sdn Bhd, the Manager of Hektar Real Estate Investment Trust (Hektar REIT), Malaysia's first retail-focused REIT, is pleased to announce that Hektar REIT is the proud recipient of two Silver awards at the inaugural of The Edge Malaysia ESG Awards 2022: Most Improved Performance Award Over Three Years (for Market Cap below RM300M) and Property & REIT Sector Award.

The awards seek to recognise and honour Malaysian companies for their commitment to developing and enhancing their business operations according to the Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) principles. The award ceremony was held at a gala dinner at the Sunway Resort Hotel on 28 November 2022.

The Edge Malaysia ESG Awards 2022 comprised two categories - the Equity Awards and the Fund Awards. The Equity Awards were organised in collaboration with Bursa Malaysia and FTSE Russell and the Fund Awards were in collaboration with the Securities Commission and Morningstar. These awards were aimed at promoting ESG adoption and leadership amongst industry leaders and professionals by recognising their contributions and successes. Hektar REIT qualified under the category of Equity Awards, whereby a company must be listed on Bursa Malaysia and be a constituent of the FTSE Bursa Malaysia EMAS index as of June 2022.

En. Johari Shukri bin Jamil, Chief Executive Officer of Hektar Asset Management Sdn. Bhd. (Hektar Asset Management), the Manager of Hektar REIT said: "We are honoured to be conferred with these prestigious awards, a testament and recognition of our efforts in driving Sustainability initiatives since we embarked on the core focus on its three pillars of E, S and G across the organisation in 2017. Our commitment to ESG principles is long-term, as we recognise that all of us have a responsibility to our stakeholders. We remain committed to further advancing our efforts in managing material sustainability matters in the area of environmental conservation, including climate change mitigation and adaptation, water & waste management, and managing energy consumption, including incorporating renewable energy in our energy mix." En Johari emphasised that the company will continue to ensure that its initiatives are in accordance with the company's corporate social responsibility (CSR), industry best practices and investors' expectations. Over the years, Hektar REIT has joined hands through many partnerships and collaborations with local and international organisations, providing support to NGOs' and charity programs to support underprivileged and marginalised communities besides advancing and empowering women to improve their financial independence for the benefit of families.

"We recognise the need for responsible sourcing and are working closely with external parties, such as our tenants and vendors, to reduce our carbon footprint across the value chain. An example is the recently introduced Reverse Vending Machine (RVM) to recycle plastic bottles and cans at Subang Parade as a pilot project to play our role and reward our loyal patrons with vouchers for redemption for their continued commitment to becoming a part of a responsible society. We will also continue integrating ESG into all aspects of our business, from financial management to operations and future planning to deliver resilient and sustainable long-term value for our stakeholders."

In June 2022 FTSE Russell evaluation, Hektar REIT was upgraded from a 3-star to a 4-star ESG rating on the FTSE4Good Bursa Malaysia Index (F4GBMI). Based on the F4GBMI evaluation of the results, Hektar REIT is inspired and encouraged to continue its efforts to improve initiatives in all three core areas of Environmental, Social & Governance and embed these core principles into its business DNA.

Hektar REIT: http://www.hektarreit.com/

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