Keppel, MPA, and Wilmar CSR award winners

Singapore

KEPPEL Land, Wilmar International and the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) have clinched top awards for demonstrating social responsibility and sustainability excellence in their business practices.

At the Singapore Apex Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Awards held on Tuesday evening, Keppel Land took the top honours in the "large organisations" category while Wilmar International got a special recognition award. MPA won in the "small and medium organisations category".

Co-organised by Global Compact Network Singapore, the Singapore Business Federation, and The Business Times, the awards are given in recognition of companies that "genuinely care for employees, customers, and the communities they operate in".

More than 200 guests attended the event, which was also held in celebration of Global Compact Network Singapore's 10th anniversary.

Said Andrew Tan, chief executive of MPA, on receiving the award: "The point is, what can you as an organisation do, in order to promote sustainability in your organisation, and at the same time achieve your objective."

"I think the two can be balanced, and balanced well," he added.

President of the Global Compact Network Singapore Kwek Leng Joo further ventured to say that in today's business environment, stakeholders such as consumers, investors, governments and employees all know what good corporate behaviour should be.

"How an organisation treats its employees, whether its products are environmentally friendly and safe, whether it supports the community it operates in . . . these are information that stakeholders share with one another," he said.

Secretary-General of the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) and Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Chan Chun Sing, who was guest-of honour, similarly flagged the importance of social responsibility in Singapore's past and future.

Said Mr Chan: "Cost-benefit analysis is our capitalist brain, but we have a socialist heart."

"I always say that in Singapore, we are only able to have such a cohesive society because we never forget our socialist heart, even when using our capitalist brain to discipline our use and allocation of resources."

"If we can combine these two together, then we will have a bright future ahead of us, way beyond SG50," he added.

An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that Ms Serena Toh is the general manager of investor relations and CSR at Keppel Land. She is in fact the general manger of corporate services and CSR. The caption above has been revised to reflect this.

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