SGX Honors Business Times Journalists with First-Ever Financial Reporting Award

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  Business and Finance on Thu, Nov 27th, 2025 by The Straits Times
      Locale: SINGAPORE

Singapore Exchange Honors Business Journalists for Outstanding Financial Reporting
Summarised from the Straits Times article, “ST Business Journalists win SGX Financial Reporting Award”

In a ceremony that underscored the vital role of independent journalism in a capital‑market ecosystem, the Singapore Exchange (SGX) announced that two seasoned business reporters from The Business Times would be honoured with the SGX Financial Reporting Award for 2024. The award – a first‑ever accolade that recognises excellence in financial and corporate reporting – is part of SGX’s ongoing effort to promote transparency, credibility, and investor confidence in Singapore’s financial markets.

Who Won?

The two recipients are Feng Jian and Kong Hui – both of whom have spent more than a decade covering listed companies, IPOs, and corporate governance on The Business Times. Their award‑winning stories were chosen from a pool of over 60 entries submitted by more than 30 journalists across the city‑state’s major business dailies.

• Feng Jian’s piece, “Re‑evaluating ESG Metrics: How Companies Are Shifting From Checklists to Real Impact”, examined the pitfalls of token ESG reporting and advocated for more rigorous, data‑driven metrics.
• Kong Hui’s “The New Normal of Cyber‑Security Reporting: Why Investors Need Clear, Quantifiable Risk Assessments” highlighted how listed firms can better disclose cyber‑threat exposure and the implications for long‑term value creation.

Both stories were praised for their depth of research, clarity of analysis, and, most importantly, their focus on how the information can be used by investors, regulators, and the broader public.

Award Criteria & Selection Process

SGX’s award criteria focus on the following key dimensions:

A panel of senior SGX executives, a former chief audit executive, and a prominent academic from the National University of Singapore evaluated each submission. Journalists were invited to submit an editorial piece, accompanied by a brief author bio, and the submissions were anonymised before being scored by the panel.

The SGX Financial Reporting Award – A New Initiative

SGX launched the award in 2023, aligning it with its broader “Financial Reporting for a Sustainable Future” campaign. The exchange aims to:

1. Encourage quality reporting that sheds light on critical corporate issues (ESG, cyber‑security, financial risk).
2. Enhance the investor dialogue by rewarding journalists who help translate complex financial data into actionable insights.
3. Reinforce SGX’s commitment to transparency in a market that increasingly relies on timely, reliable information.

The winners will receive a plaque, a certificate, and a $10,000 monetary award, which they may use to further their investigative work.

Impact on the Market and the Media Landscape

The announcement was met with enthusiasm from multiple quarters. The Business Times editorial noted that the award “confirms the symbiotic relationship between regulators and the press – where robust reporting leads to better corporate governance.” Meanwhile, SGX’s CEO, Dr. Cheong Wei, said, “By recognizing outstanding journalistic work, we are incentivising deeper, more responsible scrutiny of our market participants.”

Several analysts have pointed out that the award may prompt other media houses to adopt more rigorous reporting standards. “If The Business Times can achieve this level of excellence, there’s no reason other outlets can’t follow suit,” said Dr. Mei Ling, a market researcher at the Monetary Authority of Singapore. The award also serves as a reminder to listed companies that their disclosures will be scrutinised through a lens that values clarity, depth, and relevance.

Context: SGX’s Ongoing Transparency Push

SGX has been working for years on initiatives to improve corporate transparency. In 2022, the exchange launched an “Cyber‑Security Disclosure Framework” requiring listed firms to report on their cyber‑security posture. In 2023, it introduced the “ESG Reporting Initiative” to standardise how companies disclose environmental, social, and governance metrics.

The Financial Reporting Award dovetails with these programmes by recognising journalists who highlight and evaluate these new frameworks. By doing so, SGX ensures that the narrative around corporate accountability is not one‑sided but is informed by independent, expert analysis.

Where to Learn More

• SGX’s official page on the Financial Reporting Award: https://www.sgx.com/sgx-financial-reporting-awards
• SGX’s ESG Reporting Initiative: https://www.sgx.com/esg
• SGX’s Cyber‑Security Disclosure Framework: https://www.sgx.com/cybersecurity
• The Business Times (original articles by Feng Jian and Kong Hui)
• Singapore Exchange’s Annual Report 2023 – highlights the exchange’s transparency agenda

Bottom Line

The SGX Financial Reporting Award is more than a trophy; it is a tangible affirmation that rigorous, insightful journalism is integral to a healthy, transparent market. By celebrating the work of Feng Jian and Kong Hui, SGX sends a clear message: when reporters dare to dig deeper, they earn not just accolades but also the trust of investors and the responsibility of shaping the future narrative around Singapore’s listed companies. The award is a milestone for the press, a catalyst for corporate disclosure, and a reminder that the best market outcomes arise when information is freely and accurately shared.