The Public Relations and Communications Association of Malaysia (PRCA Malaysia) was formed in 1999 as a formal association of consultants from specialist public relations and communications firms as well as in-house professionals in Malaysia.
Since its establishment, the industry has witnessed tremendous changes in media usage and consumption, particularly in the rise of digital communications and social media. This has brought about the rapidly evolving role of Public Relations beyond the traditional umbrella of “PR”.
In line with the ever-changing marketplace, there is a need for the industry to continually refresh and adapt itself to stay ahead. As such, PRCA Malaysia has changed its name to the Public Relations and Communications Association of Malaysia.
The Association encourages its members to meet and freely discuss industry-related issues, such as the development of professional standards, ethics, qualification and the conduct of business.
On top of that, PRCA Malaysia is committed to implement various professional upskilling and talent development initiatives for the industry. Accordingly, our key events such as the Malaysia PR Awards and Malaysia PR Summit, are where the industry’s brightest talents aspire to shine.
PRCA Malaysia is a registered organisation with the Registrar of Societies, Malaysia.
The Leadership Team
Prof. Mohd Said Bani C.M. Din
President
bzBee ConsultLydia Chia Su Ching
Vice President
Roots PR Sdn BhdStefanie Braukmann
Honorary Secretary
Strategic Public RelationsCrystalbelle Lau
Honorary Treasurer
Vox EurekaDavid Lian
Executive Committee Member
Zeno GroupAndy See Teong Leng
Executive Committee Member
Perspective StrategiesYan Lim
Executive Committee Member
Ioli CommunicationsMarzura Abdul Malek
Executive Committee Member
(Non-Consultant)
Tammy Toh
Executive Committee Member
(Non-Consultant)
What We Stand for
PRCA Malaysia acts as the voice for public relations consultancies and their consultants, including independent consultants who are members. PRCA Malaysia seeks to:
Define the code of conduct for the profession that includes professional standards, ethics, qualification and the conduct of business.
Ensure better understanding of the public relations profession through activities that would further promote the profession and the industry. Among these events are the annual Malaysia PR Awards, and Malaysia Public Relations Summit.
Provide members with networking opportunities in activities where they can get to meet their fellow professionals, and gain more insight into the local communications industry.
Code of Ethics
Our code of ethics is what defines our standards. It is the code with which we maintain our credibility as communicators, and respect from our clients, business partners, media, and employees.
Members of the PRCA Malaysia agree to uphold the Association’s Code of Ethics, which comprises five key areas deemed as extremely important in the daily conduct of business – whether personal or professional as practicing professional PR consultants locally and abroad.
Corporate members shall ensure that their consulting staff is capable of providing clients with the services expected by the compulsory application of their firms’ fullest capability in order to achieve the client’s business goals.
Member firms shall provide their employees with the right skills and appropriate tools to serve their clients and shall continue to look for opportunities that will further develop their employees’ professional skills and experiences.
Members must continue to seek to improve and update their knowledge, skills and expertise in areas required by their respective clients and in all aspects of PR practice that will enable them to provide the highest level of service to clients, business partners, media and suppliers.
Members must treat their employees, clients, business partners, media and suppliers in a fair and honest manner. They are expected to manage or conduct all business relationships in a professional and business-like manner.
Members must always tell the truth.
They must always provide an accurate picture when advancing the interests of their clients, business partners and in communicating with employees, the media, suppliers and the public.
Under no circumstances are members to involve themselves knowingly with companies that are considered to be involved in businesses that are unethical in nature.
Member firms shall charge a fair price for the services they provide to clients and shall undertake not to undercut fees by charging below the range recommended by the Association for the various services provided by member firms, in particular, and of the industry, in general.
In this aspect, members shall encourage all practising PR consulting firms to become members of the Association. In doing so, member firms can collaborate to support each other and by doing so, shall contribute to the growth of the PR consulting industry. Members’ views on all aspects of the PR practice such as ethical conduct, moral and professional standards will help the industry to grow and to be perceived as professional service firms that are guided by an agreed code of ethics and professional standards befitting the practice of PR.
Some common but key code of conduct for business among member firms shall include the following:
Conflicts of Interest: Members must avoid representing any conflicting or competing client interests without the expressed written approval of the parties involved.
Confidentiality: Corporate Member firms and their employees must abide and respect client confidentiality, the privacy of client employees, and must also refrain from recruiting employees of their clients’ organisation without prior agreement and written consent of the parties involved.
Employee poaching: In the conduct of their own day-to-day operations, member firms and their employees must also avoid the poaching of employees from other member firms unless both firms have reached prior agreement on the matter.
Each PR consulting firm has the right to practise PR and to compete for business in a fair and transparent manner.
Hence, members shall have a common resolve not to knowingly undercut fees, share confidential information about member firms to potential clients with the purpose of gaining an edge in the bid for business; or knowingly withholding unethical information of the business that shall jeopardise the business of other member firms if they continue to pursue the business. However, this information must be factual and readily available with supporting evidence and shall not be hear-say.
Member firms shall respect and protect the personal rights of their employees as well as the professional reputation of both their current and former employees. The same respect must also be extended to other member firms and by employees of their employer firms regardless of their position in the employer firm or in the Association.
Professional Service to Clients
Corporate members shall ensure that their consulting staff is capable of providing clients with the services expected by the compulsory application of their firms’ fullest capability in order to achieve the client’s business goals.
Member firms shall provide their employees with the right skills and appropriate tools to serve their clients and shall continue to look for opportunities that will further develop their employees’ professional skills and experiences.
Members must continue to seek to improve and update their knowledge, skills and expertise in areas required by their respective clients and in all aspects of PR practice that will enable them to provide the highest level of service to clients, business partners, media and suppliers.
Members must treat their employees, clients, business partners, media and suppliers in a fair and honest manner. They are expected to manage or conduct all business relationships in a professional and business-like manner.
Honesty
Members must always tell the truth.
They must always provide an accurate picture when advancing the interests of their clients, business partners and in communicating with employees, the media, suppliers and the public.
Under no circumstances are members to involve themselves knowingly with companies that are considered to be involved in businesses that are unethical in nature.
Fees for Services
Member firms shall charge a fair price for the services they provide to clients and shall undertake not to undercut fees by charging below the range recommended by the Association for the various services provided by member firms, in particular, and of the industry, in general.
In this aspect, members shall encourage all practising PR consulting firms to become members of the Association. In doing so, member firms can collaborate to support each other and by doing so, shall contribute to the growth of the PR consulting industry. Members’ views on all aspects of the PR practice such as ethical conduct, moral and professional standards will help the industry to grow and to be perceived as professional service firms that are guided by an agreed code of ethics and professional standards befitting the practice of PR.
Business Code of Conduct
Some common but key code of conduct for business among member firms shall include the following:
Conflicts of Interest: Members must avoid representing any conflicting or competing client interests without the expressed written approval of the parties involved.
Confidentiality: Corporate Member firms and their employees must abide and respect client confidentiality, the privacy of client employees, and must also refrain from recruiting employees of their clients’ organisation without prior agreement and written consent of the parties involved.
Employee poaching: In the conduct of their own day-to-day operations, member firms and their employees must also avoid the poaching of employees from other member firms unless both firms have reached prior agreement on the matter.
Respect for Member Firms and Employees
Each PR consulting firm has the right to practise PR and to compete for business in a fair and transparent manner.
Hence, members shall have a common resolve not to knowingly undercut fees, share confidential information about member firms to potential clients with the purpose of gaining an edge in the bid for business; or knowingly withholding unethical information of the business that shall jeopardise the business of other member firms if they continue to pursue the business. However, this information must be factual and readily available with supporting evidence and shall not be hear-say.
Member firms shall respect and protect the personal rights of their employees as well as the professional reputation of both their current and former employees. The same respect must also be extended to other member firms and by employees of their employer firms regardless of their position in the employer firm or in the Association.