The Minister of Human Resources, Sim Chee Keong (“Minister”) presented the Employees’ Social Security (Amendment) Bill 2025 (“the Bill”) for the First Reading in the House of Representatives on 30 October 2025 and is now pending its second reading. Upon its being passed by the said House, the Bill will be presented to the Senate and if passed, for Royal Assent. The Bill will become law after it is gazetted and come into operation on a date or dates to be appointed by the Minister.
At AMCHAM’s Thanksgiving Luncheon & MY AMCHAM CARES Recognition Ceremony, AMCHAM proudly honored our CEO, Dato’ Siobhan Das, with a special award celebrating her 10 years of exceptional leadership and purpose-driven impact, marked by “Exemplary Caring.”
The Chamber’s Chairman, Datuk Tim Garland, former Chairman Anthony Lee, and the U.S. Ambassador to Malaysia, H.E. Edgard D. Kagan, presented the award, a reflection of the influence Dato’ Siobhan has had across AMCHAM, the U.S. business community, and Malaysia’s social impact landscape.
While MY AMCHAM CARES is well known among members, many may not realize that the program exists because of Dato’ Siobhan’s early vision and dedication. Over the years, she shaped and nurtured the initiative, transforming it into a flagship platform that highlights the profound and meaningful contributions American companies make to Malaysia and their commitment to best practices.
Her leadership has always gone far beyond ensuring that businesses operate smoothly, though she excels at that. She championed the recognition of thousands of acts of service, generosity, and quiet contribution by our member companies. Thanks to her, “doing good” is not just something we do; it is something we proudly stand for, together. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Dato’ Siobhan, alongside the AMCHAM team and the MY AMCHAM CARES Committee, coordinated member support and enabled AMCHAM to respond swiftly to urgent national needs. This powerful display of leadership and community in action is captured in a recent publication by Bridget Welsh.
The tribute to Dato’ Siobhan also reflects the wider impact of her leadership over the past decade. She played a pivotal role in transforming Junior Achievement Malaysia into an independent, thriving organization reaching tens of thousands of youth annually, building the skills and confidence of Malaysia’s next generation.
Today, Dato’ Siobhan continues unlocking hidden talent, championing women’s leadership through The Harpswell Foundation, personally mentoring young women in its Sisterhood Training Program, and partnering with PERHEBAT to explore support for Armed Forces retirees. She has also elevated AMCHAM into a leading chamber recognized for its advocacy, integrity, and meaningful collaborations. In 2024, she found time to further deepen her commitment to people development by becoming an EMCC-certified executive coach with a focus on senior leadership.
Datuk Timothy Garland, Chairman of AMCHAM, captured this best when he shared:
“Siobhan’s leadership has never been limited to advocacy or operations. She made sure that the thousands of acts of generosity by our member companies were seen, valued, and celebrated. MY AMCHAM CARES exists today because she believed that doing good should be part of who we are, not just what we do. She didn’t just build a program; she strengthened a culture of care across our community.”
This sentiment was echoed by AMCHAM Board Member and Managing Director of Philip Morris Malaysia, Naeem Shahab Khan, who noted: “Leadership matters. Chambers rise or fade depending on who leads them. We are fortunate and proud to have Siobhan at the helm of AMCHAM.”
In accepting the recognition, Siobhan turned the spotlight back to the community she leads: “This recognition reflects the spirit of our member companies who consistently show up for Malaysia. Everything we’ve built including MY AMCHAM CARES is possible because of your commitment, supported by the dedication of the AMCHAM team. I am grateful to lead a community that proves doing good truly makes us stronger. Together, we can.”
This is Siobhan: a leader who doesn’t just run an organization, she lifts communities. She creates pathways. She expands possibilities. She reminds us every day that caring works.
The afternoon was a heartfelt tribute to a decade of service and vision. AMCHAM is proud to celebrate Dato’ Siobhan Das for her unwavering commitment to advancing not only business, but also the people and communities that give our work purpose.
MY AMCHAM CARES is a core AMCHAM program that celebrates and promotes best practices within the corporate citizenship and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programs implemented by our members.
It is a platform through which members can share achievements and experiences that are meaningful to them, and support one another on more technical aspects of implementing and governing CSR programs, in order to achieve the highest standards and greatest impact through their environmental, social and governance initiatives.
The MY AMCHAM CARES’s annual survey considers five critical aspects that support the success of any initiative; we ask if the company’s approach and activity are strategic, sustainable, measurable, well communicated, and with strong partnerships.
Click the download button below for the list of 67 companies that were recognized at AMCHAM’s Thanksgiving Luncheon in 2025.
On 20 November 2025, AMCHAM hosted its annual Thanksgiving Luncheon & MY AMCHAM CARES Recognition Ceremony at the Shangri-La Hotel Kuala Lumpur, uniting members in a celebration of community impact and corporate citizenship. The afternoon’s highlight was the MY AMCHAM CARES Recognition Ceremony, where 67 companies were honored for their exemplary dedication to CSR.
This year’s participation revealed a strong upward momentum: the All-Star category grew by 23%, the Champion tier by 54%, with more members demonstrating sustained long-term commitment to community engagement. Notably, 32 companies achieved All-Star status (five consecutive years), while 20 organizations marked their third year as Champion achievers—clear indicators of consistency and excellence in CSR leadership.
The hallmark tradition of the ceremonial turkey carving was performed by the U.S. Ambassador to Malaysia, His Excellency Edgard D. Kagan, U.S. Ambassador to Malaysia, together with AMCHAM Chairman Datuk Timothy Garland and CEO Dato’ Siobhan Das; the moment captured the camaraderie and gratitude that defines this beloved American holiday. The Ambassador also delivered a heartfelt keynote reflecting on the past year, including the significant impact of the recent visit to Malaysia by the U.S. President.
AMCHAM extends sincere appreciation to our Gold Sponsors—AIG, Boeing, Coca-Cola Malaysia, Novartis, Pfizer, and Philip Morris—and our Silver Sponsors—ConocoPhillips, FedEx, Hershey, Inari Amertron Berhad, J.P. Morgan, McDermott, Motorola Solutions Malaysia, and NI Malaysia. We are also grateful to Starbucks and Coca-Cola Malaysia for keeping guests refreshed, and to the Shangri-La team for delivering a memorable Thanksgiving feast.
As we look ahead to 2026, AMCHAM encourages all members to stay engaged, through the MY AMCHAM CARES program, upcoming events, and new CSR initiatives. Together, we will continue building a community that leads with purpose and amplifies positive impact.
On 18 November, AMCHAM’s Chief Executive Officer, Dato’ Siobhan Das, joined thought leaders for the Financial Times’ high-level briefing, Building Regional Strength Through Smarter Fiscal and Trade Policies, organized in collaboration with Philip Morris International and AMCHAM. The program brought together policymakers, business leaders, and fiscal experts to explore how modern taxation, cross-border cooperation, and innovative policy frameworks can strengthen ASEAN’s economic resilience and competitiveness.
Moderated by Alex Irwin-Hunt, Global Markets Editor at FDI Intelligence, the panel also featured Veerinderjeet Singh, Senior Advisor on Tax Policy at KPMG Malaysia, and Mohammed Abdul Khalid, Research Fellow at the Institute of Malaysian and International Studies. Discussions focused on fostering deeper fiscal and trade alignment across ASEAN, addressing illicit trade, and finding balanced approaches between policy innovation and revenue protection.
Participants emphasized that despite established forums like the ASEAN Forum on Taxation, progress toward harmonized action remains limited. Greater regional policy alignment—particularly in taxation, trade regulation, and customs modernization—was identified as essential to unlock intra-ASEAN growth and support integrated markets.
Dato’ Siobhan highlighted the crucial role of chambers of commerce, including AMCHAM, in facilitating cross-sector dialogue and testing policy innovations. She underscored that businesses must work closely with governments and civil society to advance practical solutions that strengthen resilience and diversify markets. Drawing from Malaysia’s experience, Dato’ Siobhan expressed the opportunity for Malaysia and ASEAN to lean into being at the forefront of global integration.
AMCHAM Malaysia extends its appreciation to the Financial Times and Philip Morris International for organizing this timely and substantive discussion, and for the opportunity to contribute to shaping smarter fiscal and trade policies for a stronger and more unified ASEAN.
AMCHAM’s Future-Forward Malaysia Series: Digital held its inaugural session on 17 November 2025 at the Majestic Hotel KL, convening leaders from government and industry to examine how public–private partnerships (PPPs) can drive the successful implementation of the Malaysia Digital Economy Blueprint. With digital investment surging by 125% in Q2 and AI accelerating regional competitiveness, Malaysia stands at a pivotal moment.
The session opened with remarks by Jeremy Deutsch, President APAC of Vantage Data Centers, who highlighted Malaysia’s opportunity to strengthen its position as a regional AI leader and data centre hub and the critical role of public–private partnerships (PPPs) in making that vision a reality.
In her welcome remarks, Dato’ Siobhan Das, CEO of AMCHAM, grounded the room in the purpose of the series, reminding us: “Above all, we must ensure that every Malaysian has the tools, skills, and confidence to take part in this new digital chapter.”
Our Guest of Honor, YB Gobind Singh Deo, Minister of Digital, delivered a powerful keynote highlighting Malaysia’s role in the ASEAN digital architecture. As he noted, “Malaysia’s future growth, resilience, and competitiveness will depend on our ability to master all things digital.” His message reinforced the importance of trust, regulatory clarity, cybersecurity, and talent development as key essentials of a future-ready digital economy.
The fireside dialogue between YB Gobind and Jeremy Deutsch, moderated by Dato’ Siobhan Das, explored the infrastructure, governance frameworks, and policy innovations needed to support AI and cloud adoption, along with investment trends shaping the region. They concluded that this was ‘no time for Malaysia to take its foot off the pedal’ keeping Malaysia competitive and ready to embrace the next wave that quantum computing will bring.
A dynamic panel featuring YBhg. Tuan Fabian Bigar, Farlina Said, and Royce Teoh, moderated by Datuk Timothy Garland, extended the discussion acknowledging the strides Malaysia has already taken in the policy space balancing innovation and security, and then, dove into practical tools, incentives, and collaboration models required to move Malaysia from frameworks to execution.
AMCHAM extends our sincere appreciation to YB Gobind Singh Deo, all speakers, and Vantage Data Centers for powering the first edition of the Future-Forward Malaysia Series.
Together, we are not just envisioning Malaysia’s digital future, we are building it.
