Rise of the New Stars: MDA 2025 Celebrates the Property Sector’s Next Generation

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 2025 — In an industry often dominated by legacy names and established conglomerates, a new wave of property developers is redefining Malaysia’s urban future. The Malaysia Developer Awards (MDA) 2025, a collaboration between FIABCI Malaysia and Star Media Group, is shining the spotlight on these rising innovators through its prestigious Rising Star Award — a category designed to celebrate the next generation of industry trailblazers.

While the awards have long recognised market leaders for financial strength and longevity, the Rising Star category reflects a shift in focus toward agility, innovation, and sustainability — qualities that will shape the next era of Malaysia’s built environment.

Empowering the New Vanguard

The Rising Star Award carries a dual purpose: to empower emerging developers and to build trust among homebuyers and investors. By subjecting these younger firms to the same rigorous evaluation process as larger players, the MDA 2025 lends credibility to new entrants in the market — validating their creativity, governance, and execution.

This recognition provides crucial confidence for developers seeking to scale and innovate, while also assuring investors that these firms meet the highest standards of professional integrity and project quality.

The Architecture of Agility

These rising developers represent the innovation engine of Malaysia’s property landscape. Unlike their larger counterparts, they are unburdened by legacy systems and bureaucracy, allowing them to experiment boldly, adopt fresh design approaches, and explore emerging market opportunities.

Their strength lies not in vast capital reserves, but in nimbleness and creative adaptability — the ability to identify underserved niches, deliver impactful projects, and implement sustainable concepts that resonate with modern lifestyles.

In 2025, only three Rising Star Awards were presented, underscoring the exclusivity and prestige of this recognition. Among the winners, Haverse Development Sdn Bhd and Triterra Sdn Bhd stood out for their unique blend of design ingenuity, financial resilience, and forward-thinking strategy. Both companies exemplify the boldness required to challenge convention and redefine success in an increasingly competitive market.

A Methodology Built on Impact and Sustainability

The evaluation process for the Rising Star Award diverges sharply from the financially focused Top-of-the-Chart (TOTC) categories. Instead, it prioritises project impact, sustainability, and community value.

Each entry is examined through seven key attributes — including design innovation, environmental responsibility, social inclusivity, and overall execution quality. The MDA’s committee also evaluates long-term financial stability, ensuring that winners possess both creative vision and the fiscal discipline to sustain it.

Developers are required to submit comprehensive documentation, covering everything from conceptual planning to project completion, allowing evaluators to assess not just outcomes but also process excellence. This approach ensures that recognition is earned through transparency, execution strength, and measurable community impact.

Shaping the Future of Malaysia’s Built Environment

By highlighting new developers, the MDA 2025 is helping cultivate a more dynamic and innovative property ecosystem — one where creativity, sustainability, and accountability intersect. The winners of this year’s Rising Star Award symbolise the industry’s evolution toward future-ready urbanism, where developers focus on people-centric spaces, digital integration, and environmental stewardship.

Their emergence also reflects the changing landscape of commercial property in KL, where smaller yet agile developers are redefining how urban spaces function. Similar transformations are unfolding in industrial areas across Selangor, with growing interest in factories in Puchong, industrial property in Subang, and office space in Bukit Jalil, where adaptive and sustainable developments are gaining traction.

These innovators prove that size is no longer the defining measure of success — vision, precision, and purpose are. As Malaysia continues its journey toward becoming a global property hub, the Rising Stars of today will become the industry leaders of tomorrow, steering the nation toward a smarter, more resilient built environment.