RENOWNED urban pioneer and corporate leader Datuk Seri Rozali Mohamud was officially awarded the Outstanding Contribution Towards Sustainability Award (Practitioner) at the prestigious Royal Institution of Surveyors Malaysia (RISM) Excellence Awards 2026.
The accolade recognises his lifelong dedication, transformative local governance initiatives, and pioneering corporate leadership in sustainable development.
Rozali, who made history in 2019 as the first mayor of the Seberang Perai City Council (MBSP), has long been a champion of green urbanism. Under his visionary leadership, Seberang Perai emerged as a benchmark for low-emission and smart-city frameworks.
His environmental advocacy extends globally through his previous advisory roles with ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability, vice-president of The World Smart Sustainability Cities Organisations (WeGO) and his current appointment as the patron of the Net-Zero Greenhouse Gas Consortium (NGGC) at Centre for Global Sustainability Studies (CGSS), Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM).
“I express my heartfelt gratitude to RISM for this prestigious recognition. This award is not my personal accomplishment; it belongs to all the champions of sustainability.
“When I entered public service — eventually having the distinct privilege of serving as the first Mayor of Seberang Perai — my guiding star was always sustainability. We established a new blueprint for sustainable development, balancing economic development, digital innovation, and environmental preservation,” he said during his acceptance speech at Berjaya Times Square Hotel in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.
He added that he continues this advocacy today through LEAPCO Holding Berhad, Bandar Kepala Batas Sdn Bhd (a subsidiary of Hunza Properties Berhad), and City Valuers and Consultants Sdn Bhd.
“My commitment remains unchanged: sustainable development is not an option; it is our absolute responsibility. True progress only occurs when we harmonise industrial and urban growth with environmental preservation,” he said.
A Fellow of RISM since 2012, Rozali currently serves as the independent non-executive chairman of LEAPCO Holding Berhad, adviser to Bandar Kepala Batas Sdn Bhd (subsidiary of Hunza Properties Berhad), The Resident Registered valuer and Consultant to City Valuers and Consultants Sdn Bhd, where he continues to spearhead sustainable corporate practices within the manufacturing, development, and service sectors.
He was previously recognised as a Productivity Champion (2021), received the RISM Lifetime Achievement Award in 2022, and was named the Tokoh Perancang Bandar Negeri Pulau Pinang in 2023.
The RISM Excellence Awards celebrate outstanding individuals who have significantly elevated the stature of the surveying profession while driving impactful, nation-building initiatives across Malaysia.
In 2024, Rozali, the former chief executive officer of Yayasan Amal Tuan Yang Terutama (TYT), spearheaded the historic “Planting One Million Trees within a Day” campaign in Penang on Earth Day.
He highlighted the achievement of planting 1.26 million trees in a single day across Penang, attributing the success to the dedication of the teams involved.
The initiative united the state under the spirit of “1 Community, 1 Day, 1 Million Trees,” earning a place in the Malaysia Book of Records.
“Let us continue building spaces, industries, and cities that future generations can safely inherit,” he said, adding that he thanked his wife, eight children and 13 grandchildren for their unconditional love and support, which he described as his greatest motivation.
Pix courtesy of Royal Institution of Surveyors Malaysia (RISM)