15 Feb 2024
MAYBANK ISLAMIC AND TM FORGE PARTNERSHIP TO DELIVER FIRST ISLAMIC BANKING AS A SERVICE SOLUTION POWERED BY 5G
KUALA LUMPUR, 15 FEBRUARY 2024: Maybank Islamic Berhad and TM, the nation’s leaders in Islamic banking and telecommunications, have forged a partnership to deliver the country’s first Islamic Banking as a Service (BaaS) solution powered by 5G. Designed for consumers and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), this collaboration combines the best of Maybank Islamic’s diverse financial services and TM’s recognised Uni5G Postpaid Biz mobile packages, creating seamless access and experiences for today’s digital customers.
With local entrepreneurs and MSMEs to gain the most, Maybank Islamic and Unifi Business, TM’s digital business solutions arm, today launched their inaugural ‘Go Niaga’, a mobile business banking bundle to help businesses manage finances, improve incomes and offer digital payment options powered by secure 5G connectivity and networks. The bundle will address current market gaps among this segment, and enable businesses to better participate in e-Commerce and expand their customer reach.
Dato’ Mohamed Rafique Merican, Maybank Islamic’s CEO, said, “This partnership between Malaysia's largest telecommunications company and the country's leading Islamic banking institution opens up unique opportunities for us in delivering Islamic banking services to customers. This partnership is a significant step forward in financial inclusion. By embedding Maybank Islamic’s BaaS solutions within Unifi Business’ platforms, previously unbanked or underbanked individuals and businesses will gain access to Maybank’s essential financial services and 5G mobile connectivity through TM’s cutting-edge technologies.”
“While the technology originates from the BaaS concept, what makes it unique is its adherence to Islamic principles, making it the pioneering example of its kind in Malaysia. It combines modern technology with the ethical requirements of Islamic finance, providing innovative and faith-based financial services,” he said.
Shanti Jusnita Johari, Chief Commercial Officer for Consumer Strategy & Business at Unifi, said, “MSMEs are a key growth engine for the nation’s economy. At present, this segment accounts for nearly 38% of Malaysia’s GDP, yet their potential is often dimmed by limited access to digital tools and financial services. This is even more apparent among underserved segments, micro and small businesses who face the most challenges in accessing financial services and digital innovations that are necessary to elevate their lives and livelihoods.
“As a trusted partner to more than 400,000 MSMEs across the nation, we believe this partnership is a timely intervention to effectively address these challenges and help local businesses seize the opportunities of the digital economy. This partnership is the next milestone in our vision to become a digital powerhouse by 2030 and our mission to power a Digital Malaysia, improving businesses and communities through technology, and paving the way for a digitally inclusive nation,” Shanti shared.
Highlights of Maybank Islamic and Unifi Business’ Go Niaga offering
As the first bundle from Maybank Islamic and Unifi Business’ joint collaboration, the Go Niaga mobile business banking bundle aims to address the essential banking needs of local entrepreneurs and MSMEs.
To help local businesses streamline their operations, the Go Niaga bundle offers:
a) A lower minimum deposit of only RM 100 for customers to open an SME First Account-i – allowing them to clearly segregate their personal and business accounts that will help improve their long term credit rating.
b) Payment acceptance facilities through Maybank Islamic’s QRPay Biz, and Tap2Phone – enabling cloud POS via mobile devices to facilitate digital / card payments.
c) Credit Facilities including Maybank Islamic’s SME Digital Financing: Aspirasi Wanita Programme – providing more entrepreneurs access to funds that could help them stabilise and expand their business.
d) Uni5G Postpaid Biz 39, Uni5G Postpaid Biz 55 and Uni5G Postpaid Biz 89 mobile plans bundled with free 5G mobile devices – ensuring secure access to financial services anywhere, anytime and bringing 5G capabilities to more communities.
e) Cash rebates for Unifi Mobile bills when customers sign up and activate Maybank Tap2Phone merchant payment facility bundled with Uni5G Postpaid Biz packages.
This initial offering will be made available from 21 February until 29 May 2024. Customers are welcome to visit selected Unifi Stores on Tuesdays, selected Maybank branches on Wednesdays and selected Pusat Ekonomi Digital (PEDi) nationwide on event days, to find out how they can benefit from these offerings.
For more info, please visit maybank.my/goniaga or http://biz.unifi.com.my/goniaga
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TM JOINS CANDLE SUBMARINE CABLE SYSTEM CONSORTIUM TO CONNECT MALAYSIA AND ASEAN COUNTRIES TO JAPAN
KUALA LUMPUR, September 22, 2025 – TM, Meta, SoftBank Corp., IPS Inc., PT XLSmart Telecom Sejahtera Tbk, and NEC Corporation are collaborating to develop the Candle submarine cable system. Candle is a 24-fiber pair, 8,000 km submarine cable system connecting Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore, that is scheduled to begin operations in 2028. It will contribute to infrastructure expansion and secure redundant routes to meet the increasing demand for data communications driven by 5G and AI. This cable system will be one of the first in the Asia-Pacific region to use a 24-fiber pair cable, enabling superior traffic capacity to support the growing demand for communications in the region. Chairperson of the Candle Management Committee, Don Pang, said: “Candle represents a pivotal advancement in fortifying the region’s digital infrastructure. As the need for robust, high-speed connectivity grows, Candle will deliver greater network diversity and resilience along this essential corridor, leveraging state-of-the-art technology. This milestone reflects the deep collaboration among our partners and underscores our shared commitment to advancing digital inclusion and economic opportunity for over half a billion people in the Asia-Pacific region.” The partners from participating countries also provided their comments on the importance of this new system. Amar Huzaimi Md Deris, TM’s Group Chief Executive Officer said, “TM’s participation in the Candle submarine cable system project demonstrates our commitment to building resilient digital infrastructure that meets the growing demand for digital services and cloud-based, AI-driven innovation across Asia. It strengthens our ability to support hyperscalers, enterprises and global service providers in expanding their footprint across ASEAN, while reinforcing Malaysia’s role as ASEAN’s digital hub. This initiative bodes well with our aspiration to become a Digital Powerhouse by 2030—connecting Malaysia to the world, and the world to Malaysia.” “At Meta, we imagine a future where everyone has access to AI, personal superintelligence, and other emerging technologies to improve their lives and connect with each other. This is part of our commitment to seamlessly bring people together no matter where they are in the world.,” said Nico Roerich, Director, APAC Network Investments, Meta. “With the rapid advancement of generative AI and the Internet of Things (IoT), the demand for international telecommunications is expected to continue accelerating. CANDLE adopts a 24-fiber-pair architecture, making it one of the core foundations of next-generation social infrastructure that SoftBank is promoting. By integrating with other submarine cables such as JUPITER, ADC, and E2A, we will further enhance the diversity and redundancy of global communications networks originating from Japan, and strengthen Japan’s role as a digital gateway for Asia,” said Kimimasa Kudo, Vice President and Head of Global Business Division, Enterprise Unit, SoftBank Corp. "Our participation in this project reaffirms our commitment to play a significant role in the further development of digital infrastructure in the Asia-Pacific region, which is vital to our operations in Japan, the Philippines, and Singapore. With our subsidiary, InfiniVAN, as the landing party in the Baler, Aurora Province on the eastern seaboard of the Philippines, this is one of many projects we have planned in support of developing the Philippines as a connectivity hub in Southeast Asia." said Koji Miyashita, CEO of IPS, Inc. “XLSMART will fully support the project and we believe the Candle cable will bring benefits for all consortium parties and Indonesia”, said Feby Sallyanto, Chief of Enterprise, PT XLSmart Telecom Sejahtera Tbk. Tomonori Uematsu, General Manager, Submarine Network Division, NEC Corporation, added, “NEC is a leading vendor in the submarine cable system business with over 60 years of experience. NEC is particularly strong in leading subsea projects in the Asia-Pacific region, having been responsible for eight optical submarine cable systems connecting Japan and Singapore, including ‘Candle.’ In this project, NEC will participate as a system integrator, providing everything from the manufacture of submarine cables and repeaters to route design, installation, and testing. Through the establishment of a highly reliable communication environment in the Asia region, NEC will contribute to the development of the digital economy.” This initiative is a milestone in collective partnerships and commitment to strengthening regional connectivity, ensuring secure and reliable international data transmission, and advancing the digital growth of communities and businesses across ASEAN.
TM's addresses data breach of Unifi mobile customers contact information
Telekom Malaysia (“TM” or “the Group”) has been made aware of a data breach (specific to contact information only) on 28 December involving a limited amount of Unifi Mobile customers’ information. After investigations, TM has found 250,248 Unifi Mobile customers to be affected in this data breach, constituting both individual customers as well as SMEs. The type of data that was breached involved customer names, phone numbers and emails. No other information was breached. TM confirms that the breach has been contained and have taken steps to minimise the potential impact to these 250,248 customers. The specific customers affected have been notified. Customers who have not received any notification are not impacted. TM has also reported this matter to the relevant authorities (National Cyber Coordination & Command Centre (NC4); Department of Privacy & Data Protection (JPDP); and the Malaysian Communications & Multimedia Commission (MCMC)). While additional security measures have been put in place to isolate the risk and protect our customers, we wish to inform that our customers did not experience any service disruptions in this incident. TM is closely monitoring the situation and is conducting additional assessments. We advise customers to take extra precautions when receiving communications from unknown parties, as well as to secure their online information at all times. The privacy and security of TM’s customers remain our highest priority and we take such matters seriously. We will continue to strengthen and ensure our data security framework, policies, systems and processes are continuously benchmarked against Bank Negara Malaysia's Risk Management in Technology (RMiT) standard and ISO27001, as well as other global standards to prevent such occurrences.
TM’s Edge Facilities Win W. Media’s Asia Pacific Cloud And Datacenter Award For The Southeast Asian Region
Kuala Lumpur, 5 December 2023 – TM Global, the wholesale domestic and international business arm of TM, secured a prestigious accolade at this year's W.Media Asia Pacific Cloud & Datacenter Awards, for its Edge Facilities project aptly titled 'Delivering the Edge'. Effectively meeting the global demand for decentralised data hosting via co-location, this achievement solidifies TM Global's commitment to enhance the country’s digital ecosystem and position Malaysia as a trusted digital hub for the Southeast Asian region. Functioning as a regional data hosting facility, the project involves transforming existing TM exchanges into Edge Facilities across seven states, including Seberang Jaya (Penang), Tasek Ipoh (Perak), Seremban (Negeri Sembilan), Kuantan (Pahang), Kuala Terengganu (Terengganu), Kota Kinabalu (Sabah) and Kuching (Sarawak). Strategically positioned close to the edge of TM’s network, TM’s Edge Facilities significantly reduce the distance between the content hosting location and end-users. This closeness supercharges the velocity of data transmission with ultra-low latency, leading to an enhanced digital experience for all users. Commenting on this regional recognition, Khairul Liza Ibrahim, TM Global’s Executive Vice President said, "We are pleased that our innovative ideas and meticulous execution have garnered regional acclaim, and will continue these efforts in other states to meet the ever-growing data co-location demand. TM’s Edge Facilities effectively bridge the gap and seamlessly complement our existing data hosting solutions. While our large-scale data centres excel in intensive computing and data storage, TM’s Edge Facilities specialise in rapid, real-time data processing for edge computing services.” The design of TM’s Edge Facilities replicate key features of a data centre, which includes a carrier-neutral network with service level availability of 99.7%, enabling service providers to capitalise on the flourishing landscape of real-time applications. TM’s Edge Facilities significantly enhance cost-efficiency, accelerates time-to-market and offers scalability to meet the growing demands for both domestic and international service providers. By winning this prestigious award, TM Global reinforces its commitment to elevate the digital landscape and shape the future of data and cloud technology in the Southeast Asian region. Now in its third year, the award encourages industry transformation and innovation. It recognises achievement and excellence in championing the 3P’s for the cloud and data centre industry: Planet, Project and People. Winners were presented with the awards during a ceremony held at the Kowloon Shangri-La, Hong Kong on 30 November 2023. Earlier this year, TM won another two awards at the Asian Telecom Awards via TM Global. These accolades, namely “Telecom Company of the Year” and “Wholesale Company Initiative of the Year” recognised TM’s exceptional performance in spearheading significant advancements within Malaysia and the region's telecommunications landscape. The accomplishments underpin the transformation of TM Global’s wholesale business into a new era, marked by the expansion of its Edge capabilities.
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