Our History

The Beginning of a Voice

• A “Made in Penang” daily – an idea envisioned by Mr K.S. Choong.
• Star Publications first HQ was at No. 62, Weld Quay, Penang before moving to its own premises at No. 15, Pitt Street (now known as Jalan Mesjid Kapitan Keling), Penang.

• In 1976, this made-in Penang tabloid advanced its status from an island daily to a “national daily”.
• The relocation of the newspaper’s HQ took place in January 1976 with The Star renting the premises in Jalan Travers, Brickfields.

Growth, Resilience, Trust

• The beginning of The Star’s interest to expand beyond the newspaper.

• The Star ventured into magazine publishing, while adding new sections to the newspapers.

• On Oct 28, 1987,The Star’s license was revoked by the government. The tabloid was shut down for allegedly stirring communal sentiments and racial tension.
• 149 days later, the ban was lifted and printing was resumed.
• On Mar 26, 1988, The People’s Paper returned with the headline ‘We’re Back’ to a great reception from readers.
• The Star introduced the first Star Education Fair on Feb 23 to 26 1989, held at the Dewan Tunku Canselor, Universiti Malaya.

Entering the Digital Age

• 29 September 1995 – Star Publications was listed on the main board of the KLSE (Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange).
• 19 July 1999 – The Star became a member of the Asia News Network

Expanding  Platforms, Expanding Reach

• Jan 16, 2002 – Star Media Hub began operations.
• Sept 6, 2002 – Star Northern Hub was launched.
• Jan 4, 2009 – Studio V, The Star’s multimedia hub was officially launched.
• The Star ePaper became a reality.
• The Star acquired Star RFM Sdn Bhd (Red FM and 988) and Rimamakmur Sdn Bhd (Suria FM) radio stations.
• Launch of SMS News Alerts and a podcasting service for mobile users.
• Sept 10, 2001 – The Star relocated HQ to Menara Star, Section 16, Petaling Jaya.
• ACMS and The Star launched the Global Malaysians Network.
• The Star Mobile News Services and mobile portal was launched.
• The Star Sarawak was launched, and printing of the newspaper began in Kuching, Sarawak.
• The Star Outstanding Business Awards (SOBA) was launched to champion SMEs and fuel Malaysia’s entrepreneurial growth.

Impact Beyond Headlines

• 20 May 2011 – The Star acquired Capital FM, the first women-centric radio station.
• 19 July 2011 – The Star acquired LITV, Asia’s first lifestyle channel in true high definition.
• 9 September 2011 – The Star celebrates 40 years of Inspiring People.
• iSnap, an augmented reality technology and ePaper, the two firsts in Malaysia was launched.
• 9 September 2011 – The Star ePaper was launched for iOS mobile and Adroid devices.
• 31 May 2013 – Acquisition of three specialist portals (iBilik, Propwall and Carsifu) specialising in property, automobile and accommodation / room rental classifieds.

• 11 February 2015 – Launch of School Buzz, Star Media Group’s first Out-of-Home media.
• 23 March 2015 – The Star and Sin Chew collaborate on ePaper where readers get full digital versions of both newspapers.
• 30 March 2015 – SMEBiz, a weekly digest focusing on news and coverage of small- and medium-sized enterprises.
• 3 April 2015 – Star Media Group’s events and exhibition subsidiary, Cityneon Holdings Ltd acquired the entire share capital of Victory Hill Exhibition Pte Ltd, which holds the rights to operate, market and promote Marvel characters and subsequently Transformers characters.
• 29 April 2015 – As part of the 20th anniversary celebration of The Star Online, Star2.com was launched.

• 16 October 2015 – Li TV became a wholly owned subsidiary of Star Media Group Berhad.
• Star Media Group’s events and exhibition subsidiary, Cityneon Holdings Ltd acquired the entire share capital of Victory Hill Exhibition Pte Ltd, which holds the rights to operate, market and promote Marvel characters and subsequently Transformers characters.
• Star Media Group and Star Foundation presents Star Golden Hearts Awards as a tribute to homegrown everyday heroes who performed various acts of humanity and exemplified the true Malaysia spirit.
• 19 March 2016 – The Star recorded its highest ever daily readership with 1.41mil readers in 2015. Sunday Star’s readership also jumped to 1,348,000.

• 8 Nov 2016 – Star Media Group launched a new over-the-top video streaming service provider, dimsum.my. It offers the latest video streaming service in Malaysia, serving the best Asian content including drama, entertainment, variety, movies, documentary and news.

Digital Leadership & Purpose

• June 19, 2020 – Star Media Group Bhd has been included as one of the six new additions to the constituents of the FTSE4Good Bursa Malaysia Index (F4GBM). This index recognises strong environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices among public listed companies.

• 15 November 2021 – Through the inaugural Star Social Impact Grant, we awarded RM200,000 to help local NGOs drive sustainable change, from environmental health to women’s economic empowerment.
• 4 November 2022 – The Star ESG Academy is launched to help Malaysian businesses navigate the future of sustainability. This initiative provides SMEs with essential tools and knowledge to integrate ESG practices into their operations.
• 8 June 2023 – Star Media Group hosted the inaugural ESG Positive Impact Awards to recognize Malaysian companies excelling in sustainability. The landmark gala reinforces SMG’s leadership in promoting responsible business practices across the country.

• In 2025, Kuali underwent a significant brand transformation, evolving from a traditional recipe aggregator into a comprehensive lifestyle-inspired platform under the tagline “Lebih Daripada Resipi” (More Than Recipes).