Malaysia Design Innovation Centre has a mission to help sharpen national competitiveness through facilitating efforts that help the private sector and link government.

The National Creativity & Innovation Award is among MDI’s initiatives to achieve this. It is an award that recognises companies which have used creativity and innovation to develop brand values that have made them market leaders.

Building a brand, especially in the highly aggressive global market, demands heavy investment in, among others, R&D, market intelligence and technology. It is only through these efforts that products and services are able to create the differentiation needed to sustain brand loyalty.

The National Creativity & Innovation Award 2005 is presented to a selected number of Malaysian companies that have been consistently building their brand presence in the international marketplace. It acknowledges their success in using creativity and innovation to produce and promote their products or services.

Creativity and innovation is directly linked to building competitive edge. A successful brand testifies to the company’s commitment to quality and excellence. Enormous efforts are necessary to create a successful brand, such as constant upgrading and product or service improvements to maintain the product’s or service’s appeal to customers.

“The National Creativity & Innovation Award provides the platform where companies are recognised for their work in building their brands. The Award identifies the use of creativity and innovation without which these brands would not have gained market reach,” says MDI President Tan Sri Lim Kok Wing.

“These are brands that contribute to building Malaysia’s image as a country that produces quality products or services. We are very proud of their achievements and this Award is our way of recognising their efforts and bringing it to the attention of others.”

Recipients of the National Creativity & Innovation Award 2005 are:
· 1 Utama
· AirAsia
· AmBank
· Bristol
· KL International Airport
· Langkawi Lagoon
· Lewre
· Micasa International Hotels
· Modenas
· Ozone Glass
· Petronas Twin Towers
· Putrajaya
· T-Bikes
· Vincci
· Vitagen
· White Horse Ceramic


Seal of Creativity & Innovation

The National Creativity & Innovation Award 2005 comes with the Seal of Creativity & Innovation. It is a seal of great value and significance because it implies that the recipient brand has used creativity and innovation to build consumer loyalty. It is also a seal of quality assurance, of export quality and of a brand that has achieved international standards.

The seal can be used by the recipient brand in media applications such as advertisement on television or in newspapers and magazines to enhance the brand’s image. Or it can be used on the brand’s packaging and in the form of buntings at the shop-front, point-of-sale or exhibitions.

The seal that comes with the National Creativity & Innovation Award 2005 can be used for three years up to December 2007. To use it after 2007, a submission has to be made to MDI for consideration by the Award Selection Panel.

Under its holding company, Tune Air Sdn Bhd which was established in 2001, AirAsia Berhad is Malaysia's second-largest national airline. It has made a difference in the industry by becoming Asia's first low-fare, ticketless airline. In 2003, it became the first airline in the world to introduce SMS bookings.

AirAsia operates more than 100 point-to-point domestic and international flights from Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Johor Baru's Senai Airport, Bangkok International Airport and Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, Jakarta. It flies to more than 32 destinations in Asia.

Formerly known as the Arab Malaysia Group, the AmBank Group is one of the 10 anchor banks in the country. It provides a wide selection of banking and financial services, including retail financing, leasing, stock broking, insurance and offshore banking.

Established in August 1975, the group assumed its new name in June 2002. In its expansion in the 1980s and 1990s, it acquired Kris Securities Sdn Bhd, Fraser International Pte Ltd (Singapore), Securities Pacific Asian Bank Ltd and PT Multidana Sekurindo, Jakarta.

Situated in Balakong industrial area, the manufacturing plant of Bristol Industries Sdn Bhd produces more than 15 families and 300 models of office seating and furniture in Selangor. The company formed in 1981 is backed by marketing arm Bristol Trading and a strong research and development team.

A major participant in overseas exhibitions, Bristol has gained customer acceptance in international markets such as Germany, Australia, Japan, Mexico and the Middle East. Apart from office furniture and wooden chairs and tables, the company makes computer tables, partitions and furniture components. In 2004, its sales totalled RM50 million.

Managed by Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd, the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) in Sepang offers two runways fitted with state-of-the-art aeronautical ground lighting. They can accommodate 90 to 100 aircraft per hour.

Operational in June 1998, the impressive airport uses the total airport management system, which comprises more than 40 airport systems and functions, including air traffic management, baggage handling, passenger check-in and flight information display.

Located on the west coast of Langkawi Island, Langkawi Lagoon Resort is a 84-room hotel designed in traditional Malay architectural style. Its Sea Village offers Malay-type stilted villas over water. Its chalets and suites offer majestic views of the Andaman Sea, lush gardens and rolling hills. Nearby are rainforests for adventurers to explore. Off the beach, sea sports abound.

The five-star resort is equipped with a gym, swimming pools, conference facilities, a sauna and steam rooms. Its Rajawali Restaurant serves a selection of seafood and local delicacies.

Under Roondy (M) Sdn Bhd, Lewré made its debut in Germany in 1993. It later penetrated the European, US and Asia-Pacific markets before making its foray into the Middle East. In Malaysia, the company runs more than 50 counters or retail outlets. Its boutiques are located at 1 Utama and Mid Valley Megamall.

Today, 70 per cent of its revenue comes from sales in the US, Europe and Japan while ladies shoes account for 80 per cent. For every new collection, the company launches 700 to 800 designs. Its autumn/winter range comprises nearly 500 designs.

Located in the heart of Kuala Lumpur, MiCasa All Suite Hotel comprises 242 single, double and deluxe bedrooms, each furnished with a lounge, a pantry or a kitchen, satellite TV and broadband Internet. A home away from home, it is a stone's throw away from the famed KLCC.

The hotel provides recreational facilities like an outdoor swimming pool, a Jacuzzi and sun deck, a gymnasium, a children's playroom and tennis courts. It also has a fully-equipped business centre, an Ambassador Club Lounge, a shopping arcade and meeting facilities.

Modenas stands for Motosikal Dan Enjin Nasional Sdn Hd, a RM100 million joint venture to manufacture indigenous motorcycles for domestic and overseas markets. Investing in the partnership are DRB-Hicom Berhad, Kawasaki heavy Industries, Khazanah Holdings and Sojitz Corporation.

In June 1996, the first pilot unit emerged from the assembly facility. The brand came into the spotlight when the first 100 Modenas motorcycles were paraded in the 1996 Merdaka Day celebrations. Sales of Modenas Kriss, a four-stroke, 110-cc moped, began in late 1996. A year later, Medenas went global through wholly-owned subsidiary Edaran Modenas Sdn Bhd.

With a gross built-up area of more than five million square feet, 1 Utama Shopping Centre in Bandar Utama is indisputably a premier shopping and entertainment mecca. Built on 15 acres of land, the complex first opened in 1995. Nine years later, it expanded with an extension housing 600 retail outlets, including restaurants, a 13-lane bowling centre and a rock-climbing gym.

The two-in-one centre is divided into themed zones such as High Street, Rainforest and Promenade. The old wing provides a three-level car park while the new wing offers underground car park bays capable of accommodating 7,000 vehicles.

Ozone Glass Design Sdn Bhd is affiliated to its Australian concern, a partnership formed between John Chapin and brothers Warren and Michael Langley in 1990. The company has set up what is believed to be the first production facility specialising in the manufacture and marketing of formed glass products.

With its factory and showroom in Rawang, OzoneGlass Desig provides complete solutions from concept design to installation. It serves clients in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Indonesia, Hong Kong, China, the UK and the US. Its range of products includes frameless glass doors, curved and bent glasses and edgework.

Standing 452 metres high, the Petronas Twin Towers house the corporate headquarters of the national petroleum corporation, Petronas, the 58.4-metre Skybridge, the entire Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC) development and multinational companies. The KLCC is home to the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra.

Officially opened on Merdeka Day in 1999, the magnificent 88-storey skyscraper with a gross area of 341,760 square metres was designed by Cesar Pelli & Associates and KLCC architects. Its design was influenced by geometric patterns evident in Islamic heritage while its motifs fashioned in wood and mosaic were adapted from traditional handiwork.

Incorporated in October 1995, Putrajaya Holdings Sdn Bhd is the concession holder, landowner and master developer of the Federal Government's administrative capital of Putrajaya. In partnership with four property developers, it has transformed a 4,931-acre spread in Putrajaya into an intelligent garden city complete with lakes, parks and wetlands.

The construction of Putrajaya began in 1996; phase one was completed with the delivery of infrastructure, a sophisticated information network, key government buildings and residential precincts. The centrepiece is the 400-hectare artificial lake. The second phase of the massive development will continue until 2010.

Manufactured by Proton Edar, the T-Bikes are approved by the Union Cycliste Internationale, a governing body of international bicycle racing. The two-wheelers, which are designed to promote Malaysian sports and a healthy lifestyle, have taken part in international competitions, notably the Le Tour de Langkawi, represented by the country's first professional cycling team.

The T-Bike series consist of the T-Bolt mountain bike and T-Sprint high-performance road racer. The former features a shock-absorbing front fork, mono-shock and tough but light alloy swing-arm. The latter has a framework made from carbon fibre, making it light.

Vincci is an increasingly popular brand associated with ladies' fashion footwear. It is developed and promoted by Padini Holdings Berhad through subsidiary Vincci Ladies' Specialities Centre Sdn Bhd based in Shah Alam.

Founded in 1981, Vincci has established more than 30 outlets throughout the country. Plans are afoot to set up three Vincci franchise outlets in Thailand and another in the Philippines. Overseas sales contribute about seven per cent to the revenue of the Padini group.

Vitagen first surfaced in the domestic market in 1977 when the cultured milk drink was distributed in the Klang Valley. It was one of the successful labels marketed by Malaysia Milk Sdn Bhd, which weas set up in 1969. The company also produces health drinks, fruit juices and milk under the Marigold brand.

Now packed in an assortment of flavours, Vitagen is exported to overseas markets, including Brunei and Singapore. It is distributed nationwide through a large fleet of refrigerated trucks. Its content - good bacteria mixed with wholesome milk and fruit juice - is imported from Denmark.

Johor-based White Horse Ceramic Industries Sdn Bhd is a regional leader in the manufacture of multi-effect, homogenous and glazed ceramic tiles. It has three factories with 10 production lines, which are capable of producing 50,000 square metres of tiles per day.

The company, which began operations in 1992, markets its tiles under the White Horse brand. It manages a local network of more than 2,700 dealers, 11 Ceramic World showrooms nationwide and 10 warehouses. It exports 15 per cent of its products to overseas markets, including Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Taiwan, Austria and the US.