FIVE Singapore companies have made it to the finals of the Asean Business Awards.

Keppel Offshore and Marine, Singapore Technologies Engineering, Best World International, Cherie Hearts Group International and Network Express Courier Services are on the honour roll. They are among 23 finalists from across Asia.

The awards were launched by the Asean Business Advisory Council in April last year to mark the group's 40th anniversary and to recognise the region's most outstanding companies.

This year, the awards will recognise the most admired Asean enterprise across four categories: growth, employment, innovation and corporate social responsibility.

For each of the categories, winners will be from among larger companies and small and medium-sized enterprises.

National winners were selected by a panel of nine judges, each from a different Asean country.

Mr Patrick Daniel, editor-in-chief of the English and Malay Newspapers Division at Singapore Press Holdings, was the Singapore judge.

The winners are expected to be announced during the Asean Business and Investment Summit gala dinner in March next year.

SingTel and CapitaLand were among four winning companies chosen from 12 finalists at the inaugural awards last year.

This article was first published in The Straits Times on December 05, 2008.