Bids farewell to Dato’ Rafaai Samsi on his retirement after 40 years of service in TM
Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM) today announced the appointment of Dato' Mohd Rais Azhar as its new Chief Technology & Innovation Officer (CTIO) with effect from 18 February 2018, following the retirement of Dato' Rafaai Samsi as the CTIO of TM on 14 February 2018. Prior to this, Dato' Rais was the Deputy CTIO, and in addition to his role as the new CTIO, Dato' Mohd Rais remains the Chief Information Security Officer of TM - the position that he has served since 2017.

Dato' Mohd Rais joined TM in 1988, and 2018 marks his 30th year with the Company. As TM's CTIO, he will be responsible for Network, IT and overall technical delivery, fulfilment and assurance for TM Group. In addition, Dato' Rais will strategise, formulate, direct and lead the implementation and operations of Information Security organisation. This covers Information Security Strategy, Architecture, Governance, Risk, Compliance, Development, Threat Intelligent and Operations in order to ensure the Confidentiality, Integrity and Availability of information assets protection for TM Group.
Commenting on the new appointment, Dato' Sri Mohammed Shazalli Ramly, Group Chief Executive Officer, TM said, "We are pleased to congratulate Dato' Mohd Rais on his promotion as TM's CTIO. As a TM home grown leader, he has the experience and expertise to elevate innovation at TM in the era of digital natives."
Dato' Rais has vast experience in Malaysia's telecommunications industry and he was also one of the pioneers in establishing Corporate Information Superhighway (COINS) team, providing the first TM's Frame Relay service back in 1997. In addition, Dato' Mohd Rais has been involved in and actively led numerous transformation projects in TM including both High Speed Broadband (HSBB) projects.
Meanwhile, Dato' Sri Shazalli also expressed his utmost gratitude to Dato' Rafaai Samsi for his dedication, contribution and loyalty to the TM Group during his tenure, "We would like to express our highest gratitude to Dato' Rafaai for all that he has done for TM. In the 40 years that he has served TM and the nation, he has engineered not just our technical transformation, but more importantly, our transformation from being a network-oriented company, to one that is service-oriented."
"As the former CTIO, Dato' Rafaai's behind-the-scenes contribution and efforts towards TM's success goes beyond Information Technology & Network Technology. The change that he pioneered at Customer Experience has been transformational. He has changed the mindset of Warga Keluarga TM to become even more customer-centric. This is certainly in line with our consistently above global telco average Customer Satisfaction Measure (TRI*M) index scores over the years - a testament to our concerted efforts in improving customer experience. This laid the foundation of TM as Malaysia's Convergence Champion and strengthens our brand promise of "Life Made Easier"," he added.
"We are grateful for not just his professional and technical contributions to the Group, but also his efforts in nurturing talent. Dato' Rafaai has been a mentor and coach to many people in TM that are now among our current crop of leaders. The management and Warga Keluarga TM are immensely grateful to Dato' Rafaai for his leadership and all his contributions to the Company. We would like to take this opportunity to wish him all the best for his future endeavours," Dato' Sri Shazalli concluded.
Profiles
Dato' Mohd Rais Azhar
Dato' Mohd Rais Azhar, aged 54, was appointed as Chief Technology & Innovation Officer (CTIO) and Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) effective 14 February 2018. A Bachelor of Science (Computer Science) Degree graduate from Indiana State University, USA; Dato' Mohd Rais is also the Chief Information Security Officer of TM since 1st January 2017.
Prior to this, he was the Deputy Chief Technology & Innovation Officer of TM in 2017 and was appointed as Vice President of Network Architecture and Technology in 2010.
Dato' Rais is the Chairman of TM Technical Security Council and a board member of Telekom Research & Development Sdn Bhd, a wholly owned subsidiary of TM. In 2017, Dato Rais attended Leading Digital Business Transformation programme at IMD Business School in Lausanne, Switzerland as part of his executive education.
Dato' Rafaai Samsi
Dato' Rafaai holds a Bachelor of Science (Hons.) in Electronic Engineering from Brighton University, United Kingdom and a Masters in Communications Management from the University of Strathclyde, United Kingdom. He started his career in telecommunications with the then Jabatan Telekom Malaysia in 1978. He was later appointed CEO of TM - NTT Communications Corporation's joint venture company in July 1997 before returning to TM in July 2001, where he was assigned as General Manager of a number of divisions including State Business Operations, Market Development and Domestic Carrier Business Division.
He was then appointed Vice President, Marketing and Sales for the Wholesale segment in October 2006 and subsequently promoted to Executive Vice President to lead the Wholesale Line of Business on 1 July 2008. Dato' Rafaai was assigned as Deputy CTIO to run the day-to-day operations and turn-around initiatives of the IT and Network Technology Division since January 2013. He was assigned as Head of Customer Experience Management and Transformation reporting directly to TM Group CEO on 1 July 2014 and at the same time, remained as the Deputy CTIO. He was also the Chairman of Service Management Council (SMC) responsible for TM's overall customer service management. Before his retirement from TM, Dato' Rafaai was TM's Chief Technology & Innovation Officer (CTIO) and Chief Customer Experience Officer since 18 February 2017.
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TM and PDRM join forces to ensure a pleasant Raya celebration for all
Op Selamat 13/2018 campaign for the upcoming festive season launched to promote community safety and security Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM) continues to collaborate with Polis DiRaja Malaysia (PDRM) for community safety and security in conjunction with the upcoming Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebration with the launch of the annual safety campaign “Op Selamat 13/2018” today. This campaign, which marks the 21st consecutive years of collaboration between both parties, aimed at increasing public awareness on road safety and home security this Raya celebration season. The campaign was launched by Tan Sri Dato’ Sri Mohamad Fuzi Harun, the Inspector General of Police. Also present was Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Sulaiman Mahbob, Chairman, TM as well as Datuk Bazlan Osman, Acting Group Chief Executive Officer, TM and other police officers of various ranks. At the event, Tan Sri Mohamad Fuzi flagged off the ‘Traffic Monitoring Team’ and a convoy of motorcyclists and cars to symbolically emphasise the campaign’s message. Speaking at the launching ceremony, Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Sulaiman said, “As a responsible corporate citizen, TM is committed to playing its role in supporting the Government’s efforts towards the nation’s well-being and once again, we continue our long standing collaboration with PDRM for Op Selamat 13/2018 safety campaign this year. The safety of road users and their homes are the utmost important thing during this festive holiday season. This is why we would like to remind all members of the public to adopt proper and courteous driving etiquette as well as be alert of any break-in attempts in your neighbouring community.” “This year also marks the 21st consecutive year of our involvement in this campaign, reflecting our unwavering support towards the Government’s initiatives to reduce the road mishaps rate and to improve home safety during festive season,” he adds. Op Selamat 13/2018 continues to bring safety messages from the previous years’ campaigns where the focus encompasses the safety of Malaysian homes while the residents are away for the festive holiday. This 13th edition of the campaign - aptly themed “Rumah Selamat & Selamat Sampai ke Destinasi” will be running for two (2) weeks beginning from 8 June until 22 June 2018. For this year’s campaign, TM is contributing various necessities for 16 operation centres, for the convenience of the police officers on-duty along the roads identified as accident-prone areas. TM is also contributing car and motorcycle stickers as well as safety booklets which will be distributed to help aide public knowledge on road safety. In fulfilling its unique role towards protecting the national interest with regards to communication infrastructure, TM also works closely with PDRM on preventive measures and initiatives towards curbing cable theft incidents, as it involves public safety particularly when it causes difficulty for local communities to communicate and seek assistance in case of emergencies.
TM appoints Dato’ Mohd Rais Azhar as the new CTIO
Bids farewell to Dato’ Rafaai Samsi on his retirement after 40 years of service in TM Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM) today announced the appointment of Dato' Mohd Rais Azhar as its new Chief Technology & Innovation Officer (CTIO) with effect from 18 February 2018, following the retirement of Dato' Rafaai Samsi as the CTIO of TM on 14 February 2018. Prior to this, Dato' Rais was the Deputy CTIO, and in addition to his role as the new CTIO, Dato' Mohd Rais remains the Chief Information Security Officer of TM - the position that he has served since 2017. Dato' Mohd Rais joined TM in 1988, and 2018 marks his 30th year with the Company. As TM's CTIO, he will be responsible for Network, IT and overall technical delivery, fulfilment and assurance for TM Group. In addition, Dato' Rais will strategise, formulate, direct and lead the implementation and operations of Information Security organisation. This covers Information Security Strategy, Architecture, Governance, Risk, Compliance, Development, Threat Intelligent and Operations in order to ensure the Confidentiality, Integrity and Availability of information assets protection for TM Group. Commenting on the new appointment, Dato' Sri Mohammed Shazalli Ramly, Group Chief Executive Officer, TM said, "We are pleased to congratulate Dato' Mohd Rais on his promotion as TM's CTIO. As a TM home grown leader, he has the experience and expertise to elevate innovation at TM in the era of digital natives." Dato' Rais has vast experience in Malaysia's telecommunications industry and he was also one of the pioneers in establishing Corporate Information Superhighway (COINS) team, providing the first TM's Frame Relay service back in 1997. In addition, Dato' Mohd Rais has been involved in and actively led numerous transformation projects in TM including both High Speed Broadband (HSBB) projects. Meanwhile, Dato' Sri Shazalli also expressed his utmost gratitude to Dato' Rafaai Samsi for his dedication, contribution and loyalty to the TM Group during his tenure, "We would like to express our highest gratitude to Dato' Rafaai for all that he has done for TM. In the 40 years that he has served TM and the nation, he has engineered not just our technical transformation, but more importantly, our transformation from being a network-oriented company, to one that is service-oriented." "As the former CTIO, Dato' Rafaai's behind-the-scenes contribution and efforts towards TM's success goes beyond Information Technology & Network Technology. The change that he pioneered at Customer Experience has been transformational. He has changed the mindset of Warga Keluarga TM to become even more customer-centric. This is certainly in line with our consistently above global telco average Customer Satisfaction Measure (TRI*M) index scores over the years - a testament to our concerted efforts in improving customer experience. This laid the foundation of TM as Malaysia's Convergence Champion and strengthens our brand promise of "Life Made Easier"," he added. "We are grateful for not just his professional and technical contributions to the Group, but also his efforts in nurturing talent. Dato' Rafaai has been a mentor and coach to many people in TM that are now among our current crop of leaders. The management and Warga Keluarga TM are immensely grateful to Dato' Rafaai for his leadership and all his contributions to the Company. We would like to take this opportunity to wish him all the best for his future endeavours," Dato' Sri Shazalli concluded. Profiles Dato' Mohd Rais Azhar Dato' Mohd Rais Azhar, aged 54, was appointed as Chief Technology & Innovation Officer (CTIO) and Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) effective 14 February 2018. A Bachelor of Science (Computer Science) Degree graduate from Indiana State University, USA; Dato' Mohd Rais is also the Chief Information Security Officer of TM since 1st January 2017. Prior to this, he was the Deputy Chief Technology & Innovation Officer of TM in 2017 and was appointed as Vice President of Network Architecture and Technology in 2010. Dato' Rais is the Chairman of TM Technical Security Council and a board member of Telekom Research & Development Sdn Bhd, a wholly owned subsidiary of TM. In 2017, Dato Rais attended Leading Digital Business Transformation programme at IMD Business School in Lausanne, Switzerland as part of his executive education. Dato' Rafaai Samsi Dato' Rafaai holds a Bachelor of Science (Hons.) in Electronic Engineering from Brighton University, United Kingdom and a Masters in Communications Management from the University of Strathclyde, United Kingdom. He started his career in telecommunications with the then Jabatan Telekom Malaysia in 1978. He was later appointed CEO of TM - NTT Communications Corporation's joint venture company in July 1997 before returning to TM in July 2001, where he was assigned as General Manager of a number of divisions including State Business Operations, Market Development and Domestic Carrier Business Division. He was then appointed Vice President, Marketing and Sales for the Wholesale segment in October 2006 and subsequently promoted to Executive Vice President to lead the Wholesale Line of Business on 1 July 2008. Dato' Rafaai was assigned as Deputy CTIO to run the day-to-day operations and turn-around initiatives of the IT and Network Technology Division since January 2013. He was assigned as Head of Customer Experience Management and Transformation reporting directly to TM Group CEO on 1 July 2014 and at the same time, remained as the Deputy CTIO. He was also the Chairman of Service Management Council (SMC) responsible for TM's overall customer service management. Before his retirement from TM, Dato' Rafaai was TM's Chief Technology & Innovation Officer (CTIO) and Chief Customer Experience Officer since 18 February 2017.
TM Group collaborates with MACC to combat corruption
A testament to its zero tolerance towards corruption, Telekom Malaysia Berhad Group of Companies (TM Group), following on from its recent Ikrar Bebas Rasuah (IBR) pledge continues to collaborate with Malaysia Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC). The Group has been working closely with MACC in establishing a business environment with the highest level of ethics and integrity, which include TM business partners. TM Group has also established a special unit that specifically looks into upholding high level of integrity and good governance values in the Group’s daily operations; which cover its transactions with vendors and overall partners' ecosystem. The special unit and the special officer seconded from MACC under the unit are reporting directly to the Special Integrity Committee chaired by Group Chief Executive Officer and Deputy Group Chief Executive Officer, reflecting the close ties between both organisations. With Warga Keluarga TM nationwide taking the pledge of Ikrar Bebas Rasuah (IBR) recently, the efforts have been further intensified and as a result, several arrests were recently made by MACC following internal investigations held by the Group on dubious transactions and activities. “At TM, we are committed to uphold integrity, governance and transparency, with zero tolerance of any improper and irregular practices on the part of our partners or our employees. We have always been at the forefront in championing the Company's pledge to ensure the integrity of our processes, people and reputation as well as the sustainability of our operations. This is supported by our KRISTAL values which emphasise ‘uncompromising integrity’ in all TM’s dealings with our various stakeholders,” said Dato’ Sri Mohammed Shazalli Ramly, Group Chief Executive Officer, TM. Commenting on the recent arrests of TM employees, Dato’ Seri Shazalli said, “We continue to work closely with MACC and taking off from the collaboration, we have conducted our internal investigations and inquiries which have left no stones unturned. We will go to the fullest extent to enforce the law and we never compromise on such wrongful acts of bribery, abuse of power, falsifying of information and forging of documents. So, let the recent arrests serves as a stern warning to all – including vendors, business partners and even Warga Keluarga TM.” Internally, TM has taken immediate and appropriate action to reprimand the staff and contractors concerned. TM stands by its position, as set out in its robust and thorough internal policies and processes, which are in line with industrial relations best practice. The findings of the internal investigations are then subsequently handed over to MACC for onward legal actions. We are also play a very important role to support MACC during the investigation stage. TM will always be on the lookout and will continue to investigate internally; and collaborate with MACC so there may be further cases in future as the Company continues the fight for this noble cause. “These activities of the lowest integrity will definitely affect the provisioning of communications services to the Rakyat and hamper the delivery of its benefits to Malaysians nationwide. TM Group as the one and only trusted to deliver the national communications backbone and Malaysia’s key enabler for national communications infrastructure is committed to combat such activities towards safeguarding the national interests. At the same time, we would like to thank MACC for all the co-operation and support that they have lent us in ensuring a corruption-free environment at TM,” he added.