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TERMS & CONDITIONS

These Terms and Conditions govern participation in the Ethical Excellence Awards Malaysia 2026 (“EEA Malaysia”). By submitting or accepting a nomination, the nominator and nominee agree to comply with the terms set out below.

1. Purpose of the Awards

EEA Malaysia recognises individuals and organisations that demonstrate integrity, responsible governance and ethical conduct.
 

While many established awards recognise outcomes such as revenue growth, ESG performance, brand strength or market position, EEA Malaysia considers the ethics, governance and integrity behind how those outcomes were achieved.
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Accordingly, there are no paid nominations, guaranteed winners, cash prizes or sponsorship arrangements that influence the judging process. Commercial participation in the Awards shall not confer any advantage, entitlement or preferential consideration upon any nominee.

2. Organiser and Institutional Standing

EEA Malaysia is organised by Acquire, a Malaysian marketing and events consultancy with close to 24 years of experience across the corporate, government and government-linked company sectors.

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The Awards are presented under Good News Malaysia, a media platform dedicated to sharing positive stories about Malaysia and supporting initiatives that contribute to better outcomes for communities and organisations.

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Acquire is responsible for organising and administering the Awards. All award outcomes shall be determined independently by the judging panel.

3. Eligibility and Nominations

Both self-nominations and nominations submitted on behalf of another individual or organisation are accepted.
 

There is no fee to submit a nomination or participate in the Awards. Winners will also be invited to attend the official Gala Dinner free of charge.
 

All nominations must be submitted through the official nomination email:

nominations@ethical-excellence-awards.com
 

Nominations submitted through WhatsApp, social media, personal email addresses or other informal channels will not be treated as official submissions.
 

All required information and supporting evidence must be submitted before the stated nomination deadline. Late or incomplete nominations may not be considered.
 

EEA Malaysia reserves the right to determine the eligibility of any nomination and to assign a nomination to a more appropriate award category where necessary.

4. Accuracy of Information

Nominators and nominees are responsible for ensuring that all information submitted is accurate, complete and not misleading.
 

By submitting a nomination, the nominator confirms that they have reasonable grounds for making the claims contained in the submission.
 

EEA Malaysia reserves the right to reject or disqualify a nomination where information:

  • Is false, misleading or materially incomplete

  • Has been falsified, fabricated or plagiarised

  • Cannot be reasonably verified

  • Infringes the rights of another party

  • Brings the integrity or reputation of the Awards into question

5. Judging Criteria and Methodology

Every award category includes ethics and governance as core areas of assessment, together with criteria relevant to that particular category.

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Entries will be assessed based on the information and supporting evidence submitted, together with any verification, clarification or due diligence considered necessary by the judging panel.

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The judges reserve the right, at their sole and reasonable discretion, to:

  • Request further information, clarification or supporting evidence;

  • Reject any incomplete, inaccurate, misleading or unverifiable submission;

  • Reassign a nomination to a more appropriate award category;

  • Withhold an award where no nominee meets the required standard; and

  • Take into account any relevant information discovered during verification or due diligence.
     

The judges’ interpretation and application of the judging criteria shall be final and binding.

6. Supporting Evidence and Verification

Nominees must provide sufficient evidence to support the claims made in their submissions. Supporting materials may include:

  • Photographs and videos

  • Policies, reports and official documents

  • Programme or project records

  • Measurable results and supporting data

  • Testimonials or third-party references

  • Media coverage

  • Other relevant evidence requested by the judging panel​

Every submission received through the official nomination channel may be checked during the judging process.

Where appropriate, additional verification may be conducted by independent third-party assessors.

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Nominees may be contacted during the judging period and asked to provide further information, clarification or supporting evidence. Failure to provide the requested information within the given timeframe may affect the nominee’s assessment or eligibility.

7. Due Diligence

The judging panel brings sector-specific knowledge and first-hand market experience covering areas such as ESG, governance of public-listed companies, SMEs, public relations, consumer affairs and complaints.

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This experience forms an important part of the due-diligence process and allows the judges to assess matters that may not be fully demonstrated through a written submission alone.

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The organiser, judging panel and authorised independent assessors reserve the right to conduct reasonable checks into a nominee’s conduct, track record, reputation and supporting claims.

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Any significant concern identified during the due-diligence process may be taken into account when assessing the nomination.

8. Independent Judging Panel

The judging panel comprises five presidents representing different national associations, with each judge endorsed by the council of their respective association.

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The judges:

  • Serve on an unpaid basis;

  • Hold no role in organising or commercially managing the Awards;

  • Assess nominations independently;

  • Are not accountable to the organising team for their decisions; and

  • Will act according to their professional judgment, experience and integrity.
     

Award outcomes will be determined through the combined assessment and prudence of the judging panel.
 

The separation between the judging panel and the organising team is a foundational part of EEA Malaysia’s structure.

9. Conflicts of Interest

Judges will disclose any actual, potential or perceived conflict of interest involving a nominee.

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Where such a conflict exists, the judge concerned will disclose the matter to the other members of the judging panel and recuse themselves from the assessment and decision relating to that nominee.

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The assessment will then be undertaken by the remaining eligible judges. The judging panel’s determination concerning any conflict of interest shall be final.

10. Sponsors, Partners and Commercial Independence

Sponsors, partners and their representatives may submit nominations or be nominated, provided they meet the applicable eligibility requirements.

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However, sponsorship, partnership, advertising, table purchases or any other commercial involvement:

  • Does not guarantee nomination or shortlisting

  • Does not provide preferential treatment

  • Does not influence judging scores or decisions

  • Does not guarantee an award

  • Does not provide access to confidential judging discussions
     

Sponsors and partners support EEA Malaysia because they wish to be associated with its purpose, values and community. Their commercial involvement remains separate from all judging decisions.

11. Award Threshold and Selection of Winners

The receipt of nominations in any category does not require the judging panel to select a winner.

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The judges reserve the right, at their sole and reasonable discretion, to decline to confer an award where:

  • No nominee meets the required standard;

  • Claims cannot be adequately verified;

  • Supporting evidence is insufficient;

  • Material concerns arise during due diligence; or

  • Conferring the award may compromise the credibility or integrity of EEA Malaysia.
     

A category may therefore remain unawarded.
 

There are no guaranteed winners, and no nominee shall be entitled to receive an award solely because they were nominated, shortlisted, invited to participate or associated with a sponsor or partner.
 

All judging decisions shall be final and binding, subject only to any review undertaken in accordance with the post-award accountability provisions below.

12. Scoring Records and Confidentiality

Internal scoring and judging records will be retained for governance and review purposes.

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Individual scores, confidential judging discussions and information relating to unsuccessful nominees will not ordinarily be made public.

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The organiser and judging panel are not required to provide individual feedback, disclose confidential scoring records or enter into correspondence comparing one nominee against another.

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Nominees should clearly identify any information they consider confidential or commercially sensitive when submitting their entries. EEA Malaysia will take reasonable steps not to publish information that has been clearly identified and accepted as confidential.

13. Publicity and Use of Winner Content

By submitting or accepting a nomination, nominees acknowledge that, if selected as a finalist or winner, relevant information from their nomination may be used to communicate and demonstrate why they received the recognition.

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EEA Malaysia, the organiser and authorised media partners may publish or share:

  • The finalist’s or winner’s name, designation and organisation

  • The relevant award category

  • The reasons or basis for the recognition

  • Approved achievements and information contained in the nomination

  • Photographs, videos and other supporting materials submitted as evidence

  • Event photographs and video recordings

  • Interviews, comments and acceptance speeches

  • Editorial articles, media write-ups, press releases and social media content relating to the finalist or winner
     

This content may be published through the EEA Malaysia website, Good News Malaysia, social media platforms, event materials, press releases, participating media organisations and other official communication channels.
 

Finalists and winners may be contacted to provide additional information, photographs, videos, interviews or comments for publicity purposes.
 

By providing photographs, videos, documents or other supporting materials, the nominee confirms that they have the necessary rights and permissions for those materials to be reviewed and, if they become a finalist or winner, used for reasonable Awards-related publicity.
 

Where submitted materials feature employees, beneficiaries, members of the public or other third parties, the nominee is responsible for obtaining the necessary consent for submission and potential publication.

14. Event Photography and Recording

Photographs, videos and audio recordings may be captured during EEA Malaysia activities and the Gala Dinner.

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By attending an EEA Malaysia event, attendees acknowledge that they may appear in event-related photographs or recordings. These materials may be used for reporting, publicity, promotional and archival purposes across EEA Malaysia’s official platforms and participating media channels.

15. Finality of Decisions

All judging decisions are made independently by the judging panel and are final.

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The organiser will not alter a judging decision for commercial, sponsorship, partnership, advertising or promotional reasons.

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The organiser and judges are not required to enter into correspondence concerning individual scores, comparisons between nominees or confidential judging deliberations.

16. Post-Award Accountability and Revocation

If, after an award has been conferred, EEA Malaysia becomes aware of credible evidence that the recipient:

  • Submitted false, inaccurate, misleading or materially incomplete information;

  • Fabricated, altered or misrepresented supporting evidence;

  • Failed to disclose material information relevant to the assessment;

  • Engaged in serious misconduct or unethical conduct; or

  • Otherwise acted in a manner inconsistent with the values and standards of EEA Malaysia,

the matter may be referred to the judging panel for review.
 

The award recipient may be given a reasonable opportunity to respond and provide clarification or further evidence. However, EEA Malaysia reserves the right to take immediate protective action where necessary to safeguard the integrity or reputation of the Awards.
 

Following its review, the judging panel may, at its sole and reasonable discretion:

  • Confirm the original decision;

  • Withdraw or revoke the award;

  • Remove the recipient’s name, photographs, videos and related winner content from official platforms;

  • Require the recipient to cease representing themselves as an EEA Malaysia winner;

  • Issue a correction, clarification or public statement; and

  • Confer or reassign the award to another eligible nominee where the judges consider it appropriate.
     

Any reassignment shall not be automatic. The replacement recipient must independently satisfy the applicable judging criteria and required standard of excellence.
 

The decision of the judging panel regarding the withdrawal, revocation or reassignment of an award shall be final and binding.

17. Extension, Postponement, Modification or Cancellation

EEA Malaysia reserves the right, at its sole and reasonable discretion, to extend or amend:

  • The nomination opening or closing date;

  • Submission and verification deadlines;

  • Judging and announcement dates;

  • The date, time, venue or format of the Gala Dinner; and

  • Any other administrative timeline relating to the Awards.
     

EEA Malaysia may also postpone, modify, reschedule or cancel any part of the Awards or Gala Dinner due to operational requirements, insufficient participation, venue-related matters, circumstances beyond its reasonable control or any other reason necessary for the proper administration of the Awards.
 

Any revised date or arrangement will be communicated through the official EEA Malaysia website, email or other authorised communication channels where reasonably practicable.
 

EEA Malaysia shall not be liable for any loss, cost, expense or inconvenience arising from an extension, postponement, rescheduling, modification or cancellation, except where such liability cannot lawfully be excluded.

18. Data and Communications

Information submitted as part of a nomination may be used to:

  • Administer and assess the nomination

  • Contact nominators and nominees

  • Conduct verification and due diligence

  • Communicate Awards-related updates

  • Organise finalist and winner participation

  • Produce approved publicity concerning finalists and winners

  • Maintain appropriate administrative and judging records
     

Personal information will be handled only for legitimate Awards-related purposes and in accordance with applicable requirements.

19. Acceptance of Terms

By submitting or accepting a nomination, the nominator and nominee acknowledge and agree that they:

  • Have read, understood and accepted these Terms and Conditions;

  • Confirm that all submitted information is accurate and complete to the best of their knowledge;

  • Authorise EEA Malaysia to assess, verify and conduct reasonable due diligence in relation to the submission;

  • Agree to provide additional information or evidence where reasonably requested;

  • Understand that nomination or shortlisting does not guarantee an award;

  • Accept the independent, final and binding decisions of the judging panel;

  • Accept that an award may subsequently be withdrawn, revoked or reassigned where false, inaccurate, misleading or materially incomplete information is discovered;

  • Authorise the publication of relevant information and supporting content if selected as a finalist or winner; and

  • Confirm that all necessary rights, permissions and consents have been obtained for the materials submitted.


EEA Malaysia reserves the right to amend these Terms and Conditions where reasonably necessary to preserve the fairness, credibility, integrity and proper administration of the Awards.

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