The Prime Minister's Hibiscus Award (PMHA), the premier private sector award for green and sustainable efforts in business and industry, is launching a new category of award called Excellence in Environmental Journalism.

PMHA organising committee chairman Tan Sri Mustafa Mansur said the inaugural award would be presented to the print media organisation that had made major contributions towards the understanding of environmental sustainability and made a significant impact on public and policy sentiments.

"Through this dedicated quest, we are recognising the highly important role that the media play in Malaysia's pursuit of business and environmental sustainability.

"This is in line with the objectives of the PMHA, which gives public recognition to companies and businesses for their accomplishments and leadership in environmental sustainability," he said in a statement, here, Sunday.

In launching such initiative, he said PMHA also sought to enhance the quality and integrity of media coverage of environmental issues to a level that would encourage the public, the consumers and the corporate sector to take further affirmative action towards sustainability.

Mustafa said the Excellence in Environmental Journalism award would be conferred once every two years in conjunction with the biennial PMHA that was launched in 1996.

The award is open only to registered print media organisations, and each interested organisation is required to submit three news articles or features per entry, published between July 1, 2012 and July 15, this year.

Each media organisation is allowed to submit up to three entries and articles submitted in languages other than English or Bahasa Malaysia must be accompanied by translations.

The entry form, rules and regulations as well as further details can be downloaded from www.hibiscusaward.com. The deadline for the submission of entries is Oct 15, 2013.

The PMHA Award 2012/2013 will be presented in November this year and the date of the award ceremony will be duly announced by the organiser.