An inspiring night honouring outstanding Employers, Training Providers and Trainers shaping the nation’s workforce future
KUALA LUMPUR, 26 November 2025 – The HRD Awards 2025 Gala Dinner, hosted by the Human Resource Development Corporation (HRD Corp), with the support of the Ministry of Human Resources (KESUMA), at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC), brought together Malaysia’s most visionary employers, innovative training providers and exceptional trainers in a grand celebration of excellence in human capital development.
Held under the theme ‘An Evening of Elegance,’ this prestigious event was officiated by Yang Berbahagia Datuk Azman bin Mohd Yusof, Secretary-General of KESUMA who graced the evening to honour champions driving Malaysia’s future workforce.
Since its inception in 2001, the HRD Awards has stood as Malaysia’s most prestigious platform for recognising outstanding contributions in the human resource development ecosystem. This year’s edition continued the legacy, recording another milestone in participation and showcasing the best of Malaysia’s learning and development landscape.
The HRD Awards 2025, in its 23rd iteration, received a total of 770 submissions from employers, training providers and trainers, the highest in the award’s history, marking a significant increase of 277 submissions compared to the 493 received last year.
This record-breaking achievement reflects the growing recognition of the HRD Awards as a national benchmark for excellence within Malaysia’s human capital development community.
Datuk Azman in his speech highlighted that the extraordinary participation reflects Malaysia’s growing recognition that human capital is the foundation of sustainable and inclusive national development.
“Regardless of how advanced our technologies or infrastructure become, it is ultimately the skill, creativity and resilience of our people that will define Malaysia’s future trajectory”, emphasised Datuk Azman in his speech.
Meanwhile, Dr. Syed Alwi in his speech mentioned that each year, the HRD Awards recognise outstanding employers, training providers and individuals who have gone above and beyond in nurturing talent, promoting innovation and raising workforce development standards across Malaysia.
“This journey is about enabling Malaysians from every corner of the country to access meaningful learning opportunities, preparing them to face challenges, adapt to rapid changes and seize new opportunities in an ever-changing landscape”, said Dr. Syed Alwi in his speech.
A total of 40 distinguished awards were presented across seven (7) categories:
- Human Resources Minister Award
- Learning and Development Icon Award
- ASEAN Year of Skills Special Recognition Award
- Human Resource Development Corporation Award
- Regional Excellence Award
- Excellence Awards
- Learning and Development Team of the Year Award
The winners (refer to appendix) were selected through a rigorous multi-stage evaluation process, ensuring transparency, integrity and credibility. The judging panel comprised esteemed industry experts and members of the Senior Leadership Committee (SLC) of HRD Corp, alongside representatives from key national bodies including the Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF), SME Corporation Malaysia (SME Corp), Talent Corporation Malaysia Berhad (TalentCorp), Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) and Malaysia Productivity Corporation (MPC).
The event was also attended by Tuan Sutekno bin Ahmad Belon, Deputy Secretary-General (Operations) of KESUMA and Dr. Syed Alwi bin Mohamed Sultan, Chief Executive of HRD Corp.
The HRD Awards 2025 reaffirms Malaysia’s commitment to nurturing world-class talent and advancing the nation’s human capital development agenda, in line with the vision of building a skilled, progressive and future-ready workforce.
For the complete list of winners and more information about the HRD Awards 2025, please visit hrdcorp.gov.my/hrd-awards-2025.