SHAH ALAM, 17 June 2022 – Year 2022 is Probably the Most Memorable Year for the employees and friends of Carlsberg Malaysia as one of the leading brewers in the world – Carlsberg celebrates its 175th birthday globally.
To commemorate this milestone, Carlsberg Group Chief Executive Officer Cees ‘t Hart visited the Malaysia operations to also celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first Carlsberg Danish Pilsner manufactured locally in the Shah Alam brewery. Carlsberg Malaysia is the first brewery built outside of Copenhagen, Denmark.
Evolving from a global flagship brand to Probably The Best Beer in the World – Carlsberg Danish Pilsner, the operations in Malaysia has also innovated its brew and drinking experience with two quality brews, namely Carlsberg Smooth Draught that is brewed longer for its signature smoothness and the strong and full-bodied malty lager, Carlsberg Special Brew, offering a perfect pint of beer for every beer lover at any occasions.
Reiterating its commitment to deliver Probably The Best drinking experience, the brewer has also refreshed the identity and upgraded the packaging of both Carlsberg Danish Pilsner and Carlsberg Smooth Draught in 2019 and 2021 respectively, making it a progressive brand that Just Keeps Getting Better – 175 years today and years ahead.
“Malaysia is one of the key growth drivers in Asia for the Group. I’m very proud that Carlsberg Malaysia is agile, resilient and safely navigated the storm and emerged stronger than ever, throughout the pandemic. The second half of the year poses three main challenges – the uncertainties of COVID-19, impact from the war in Ukraine and the growing global inflation. I have full confidence that, together with our customers, partners and employees, Carlsberg Malaysia will continue to brew for a better today and tomorrow,” said Hart, making his first visit in Asia after the travel restrictions are lifted in Malaysia.
Confidence over the growth opportunities in the country and proving the Group’s long-term commitment to invest in Malaysia, the Carlsberg Group has set aside a capital expenditure (CapEx) of RM110 million to upgrade its Shah Alam brewery, the largest investment the local brewer has made in 30 years. This investment is set to modernise its production facilities to deliver higher efficiency and enable greater flexibility in packaging options as well as sustainability performance in energy, water and waste management.
While it has been tough for Carlsberg Malaysia, given that the brewer’s operations were suspended for 122 days due to the COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020 and 2021, it recognises and acknowledges that its People are the backbone of its success.
In Leading with Care and building a Diverse and Inclusive Culture, the brewer had placed great emphasis on safeguarding its people and the development of its talents. Some of these efforts include accelerating the vaccination programme of the entire workforce last year, mandatory weekly swab test, as well was exporting five of our local talents to three countries (Hong Kong, Singapore and Cambodia) last year, and ensuring that policies and practices are catered to support employees who had family and personal commitments.
Guided by its Purpose of Brewing for a Better Today and Tomorrow, Carlsberg Malaysia has evolved from its sustainability programme to implement a more inclusive environmental, social and governance (ESG) priorities.
To-date, Carlsberg Malaysia remains as a counter of note within FTSE Russell’s FTSE4GOOD Bursa Malaysia (F4GBM) Index and achieved a Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) ESG ratings of “AA”.
