KPJ wants to be world number one

KPJ Healthcare Bhd (5878), which currently ranks as Asia's number one healthcare service provider and the world's third, is going all out to reach pole position.

KPJ Healthcare has been named by US-based Nu Wire Investor research company recently as the world's number three healthcare company.

KPJ Healthcare managing director Datin Paduka Siti Sa'diah Sheikh Bakir (picture) said the company is expanding aggressively, albeit cautiously opening two hospitals a year in Malaysia, the Middle East and Indo China.

"We have to work hard to position Malaysia as the number one medical hub in the world as other countries such as India are fast catching up," she said.

Siti Sa'diah made history yesterday when she was named Malaysia's CEO of the Year 2009, the first woman to clinch the title in the award's 14-year history.

The award was presented to her by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

Siti Sa'diah beat 118 other nominees from 16 different indusries. She took home a trophy, an American Express platinum card with one million membership rewards points and a first-class return air ticket to Europe.

Describing the win, Siti Sa'diah said she is honoured to stand among world-class leaders and pays tribute to her peers in the industry. women as well as Johor Corp Group of Companies which is Johor state's investment and commercial arm.

"Since its establishment 28 years ago, I am proud that KPJ made its first RM1 billion revenue after 27 years and its first RM100 million pre-tax profit after 28 years.

"We are growing still and aim for RM2 billion revenue in the future from RM1.4 billion currently," Siti Sa'diah told reporters in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

A member of JCorp group of companies and its medical arm, KPJ has over RM1.1 billion in assets with a shareholders fund of over RM508.9 million.

Siti Sa'diah, 57, became KPJ managing director since March 1993.

At the same event, Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd won the inaugural Corporate Nationhood Initiative Award in recognition of its outstanding corporate initiative for its effort in promoting national harmony under the One Malaysia spirit.

The award was received by its managing director Tan Sri Bashir Ahmad Abdul Majid.

Malaysia's CEO of the Year 2009 is organised jointly by Business Times and Maybank, the issuer of American Express credit and charge cards.