Kuala Lumpur, 19 August - MNRB Group has, for the third consecutive year, extended its support to PGM by sponsoring RM350,000 to host the PGM MNRB Sarawak Championship, which will be held from 10-13 September at Kelab Golf Sarawak.

The PGM MNRB Sarawak Masters is the 18th leg of the PGM Tour and the ninth offering Official World Golf Ranking points to the Top-6 contenders. Tournaments offering OWGR points are highly sought after as golfers look to boost their ranking to earn entry into the Olympics in Rio in 2016.

At the cheque presentation ceremony, held at Menara PNB, Encik Mohd Din Merican, President & Group Chief Executive Officer of MNRB Holdings Berhad handed over a mock cheque to Encik Mior Abdul Rahman, General Manager of the PGM Tour. There to witness the occasion was PGM Tour Chairman, YABhg Tun Ahmad Sarji Abdul Hamid.

Speaking at the ceremony, Professional Golf of Malaysia (PGM) Chairman, Tun Ahmad Sarji Abdul Hamid said PGM was grateful for MNRB's commitment to the Tour and added that it would go a long way towards consolidating the local circuit's standing. He added that MNRB's continued investment in the Tour exemplifies the Group's support and commitment in promoting golf through top-class tournaments, which also generates greater public awareness and inspires local players to pursue the sport at a professional level.

He also took the occasion to thank all the sponsors who have thrown their support behind the Tour as it showed that corporate companies are gaining confidence in the Tour. He gave a special mention to Vascory Group who sponsored the Templer Park leg where local amateur star Gavin Green emerged champion, saying, "without the support from PGM, the ADT and generous corporate sponsors there would not be these kind of competitive opportunities for Malaysian golfers."

Encik Mohd Din Merican said, "We are honoured to be involved in supporting PGM to improve the standards of both professional golfers as well as the young up-and-coming players. This tournament, being part of the Asian Development Tour (ADT) circuit, would provide opportunities for local players to compete with other players from the region. We hope to see more of our local players making headway in the international competitions in the near future."

Delighted with the continued collaboration between the PGM Tour and MNRB, Tun Ahmad Sarji had this to say, "World Ranking Points are vital for Malaysian players to progress on the world stage. Nicholas Fung is a great example of how our players can flourish under the right circumstances and with the opportunities being provided by tournaments that offer both World Ranking Points, substantial prize money and vital competitive experience against international competition.

"MNRB's investment in the future of golf is to be admired and hopefully emulated for continued growth. PGM has been blessed to be supported by both the government and the private sector and when the 2015 schedule of events is unveiled our commitment towards the development of the sport will be seen as we will be increasing the number of qualifying legs to 12, thereby increasing the number of professional golfers in the country, as well as increasing the prize money for motivation. The number of Closed Championships will be increased as it gives local talent an opportunity to gain experience and confidence and the ADT and ASEAN PGA co-sanctioned tournaments will give our players all-important international exposure. So next year the programme will be packed.

He finished by saying, "One of the virtues of the PGM Tour is its predictability and the response has been good."

The PGM Tour has applied for membership of the International Federation of PGA Tours and Tun Ahmad Sarji recently undertook a trip to England for the purpose of presenting a paper. The International Federation of PGA Tours has a positive impression of Malaysia, acknowledging events such as the Maybank Malaysian Open and the CIMB Classic. The outcome is being awaited.

About MNRB Group

MNRB Holdings Berhad is an investment holding company. Amongst its wholly owned subsidiaries are Malaysian Reinsurance Berhad (Malaysian Re), Takaful Ikhlas Berhad (Takaful IKHLAS), MNRB Retakaful Berhad (MRT) and Malaysian Re (Dubai) Ltd. (MRDL). MNRB is listed on the Main Market of the Bursa Malaysia Securities Berhad.

For more information, please log on to www.mnrb.com.my

About Professional Golf of Malaysia (PGM)

Professional Golf of Malaysia (PGM) is a Company Limited by Guarantee, registered on 5th August 2010 in Malaysia. As a non-profit organisation, PGM's objectives are to promote the sport of golf and to contribute towards its enjoyment and growth. To conduct and/or coordinate training on golf-related courses in order to enhance the playing capabilities and skills of professional golfers, as well as to promote and/or conduct a golf Tour or events as a means to hone their skills and to elevate the standards of the professional golfers in Malaysia. Also, to provide a platform for Malaysia's professional golfers to enable them to focus on playing while PGM shoulders the responsibility of arranging and financing these tournaments.

To achieve these objectives, PGM organises a series of golf tournaments on an annual basis. Last year (2013) PGM hosted 22 tournaments offering prize money of over RM4 million, nine of which are co-sanctioned with the Asian Development Tour and three with the ASEAN Tour.

The schedule for 2014 features 25 tournaments offering prize money of over RM5 million, twelve of which are again co-sanctioned with the Asian Development Tour and three with the ASEAN Tour. The expansion of the Tour on an annual basis and the increased prize money is an indicator of its vibrant growth year-on-year.

For more information, please log on to http://pgm.ocs-asia.com/mcentre/

About Kelab Golf Sarawak

Kelab Golf Sarawak (Sarawak Golf Club) is located approximately 10 km from the centre of Kuching City. To club members, the golfing fraternity and frequent visitors, the club is more affectionately known as "KGS".

The main feature of KGS is its 36-holes golf course, the only one in the Land of the Hornbills. The majestic clubhouse separates the two golfing locations. To the south is the Matang/Santubong 18; and to the north is the Siol/Demak 18. The Matang/Santubong course is named after Sarawak's well-known geographical landmarks, the two famous mountain ranges - Santubong and Matang.

The newly upgraded championship course is 6394 meters long, par 72, designed to test a player's ball-striking accuracy and course management skills. It comes with a combination of undulating Paspalum fairways and strategically positioned hazards to provide a great challenge to both the high handicappers and scratch players alike.

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