KUALA LUMPUR — The Malaysian Franchise Association (MFA) yesterday officially launched the Malaysia Franchise Awards 2026 (MAF2026) to recognize the excellence, innovation, and top achievements of both local and international franchise industry players.
The launching ceremony was officiated by the Minister of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives, Steven Sim, in conjunction with the Malaysia International Franchise Exhibition 2026 (FIM2026) Cocktail Reception at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC) here.
MAF2026 is scheduled to take place on Nov 20 in Kuala Lumpur and is expected to gather over 1,000 franchise industry players, government agencies, stakeholders, and strategic partners.
Nominations for MAF2026 will be open from June to August 2026, and participation is open to all franchise industry players, including non-MFA member companies.
A total of 23 awards will be contested, covering the Franchise System Category, International Franchisor Category, Franchisee Category, Open Category, ESG Category, and Media Category.
MFA Chairman Datuk Dr Radzali Hassan said that for the first time, MFA is introducing two new awards namely ‘Best Franchise Productivity’ and ‘Best Franchise Digitalization’ under the open category.
He said the introduction of these awards aims to honor franchise companies that not only excel in business performance but also successfully increase operational productivity and strengthen digitalization within their organizations.
“In an effort to enhance the credibility and impact of the awards, MFA has also established a strategic partnership with the Malaysia Productivity Corporation (MPC) to introduce a more comprehensive, productivity-based evaluation element,” he said.
Throughout its inception, the Best Franchise category has been won by renowned brands such as Daily Fresh, Focus Point, Global Art, Home Maths Therapy, Marrybrown, OldTown White Coffee, Smart Reader Kids, Secret Recipe, and The Manhattan Fish Market.
FIM2026 is a three-day event running until May 23.
The public and industry players interested in obtaining more information regarding MAF2026 can visit the official website at www.mfa.org.my/maf. —Bernama
