19 Feb 2018
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.
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unifi is now available in Mukah!
TM continues to empower the digital transformation in sub-urban and undeveloped areas Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM) continues to strengthen its position as Malaysia’s Convergence Champion, bringing unlimited experiences, unmatched choices and unbeatable value to customers in Sarawak with its comprehensive suite of High Speed Broadband service offerings when the Company, through TM Sarawak recently expanded its unifi service to Mukah Division, in Mukah, Sarawak. A launching ceremony to celebrate the milestone was held at the Resident Office for Mukah Division and graced by Hajah Hamdiah Haji Bakir, the Resident of Mukah Division, together with Jafer Sadig Abdul Lathiff, State General Manager, TM Sarawak and Awang Abdul Khairulannuar, Business Head, TM Sibu. In her speech, Hajah Hamdiah said, “The unifi service offering in Mukah is timely as Sarawak is currently embarking on digital economy to further propel its economic growth. The telecommunication infrastructure to support high-speed internet connectivity needs to be made available in order for digital economy to be adopted successfully for the benefits of the business and residential communities in Mukah. As the nation’s trusted telecommunications services provider, with its extensive network and expertise, we believe TM is more than capable to facilitate our digital transformation journey. We hope TM will continue to further expand its unifi service throughout the state not only covering the urban areas but also the sub-urban and rural areas to bridge the digital gap with their urban counterparts.” Meanwhile, Jafer Sadig said: “The expansion of TM’s unifi service in Mukah fulfills the demand from our customers and it will enable the local communities, specifically in Mukah, Sarawak to enjoy fully converged communications services; unifi Broadband, unifi Mobile, unifi Wifi and unifi TV. The availability of unifi in Mukah is hoped to spearhead Sarawak’s Digital Economy, bridging the digital gap, connecting people wherever they are via digital connectivity, encouraging online e-commerce, e-banking and e-payments; true to our brand promise of Making Life and Business Easier, for a better Malaysia. We also would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of the entire Warga Keluarga TM who have made this achievement possible. As the nation’s key partner in supporting the Government’s inspiration of providing High Speed Broadband access with an affordable price, we are committed to transform the landscape of Sarawak with advanced telecommunications services to spur the economic growth via digital opportunities at the urban areas as well as the sub-urban areas.” With this expansion, unifi is now available in Mukah in key areas which include Politeknik Mukah until Kingwood Resort, Menara Pehin which houses most of the State Government departments in Mukah including Regional Corridor Development Authority (RECODA) - the administrator for Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE). The expansion will also include Jalan Orang Kaya Setiaraja and Jalan Petanak which will receive the service by end of September 2018. Further expansion will cover other areas such as Jalan Medan Setiaraja, Jalan Tellian, Jalan Hj Latip, Jln Kampung Pinang, Jalan Mohammad Fauzi, Taman Pelita Jaya and Jalan Mukah/Oya while other locations will be fiberised by unifi in stages. “In line with the Broadband Improvement Plan, I’m also excited to share that our new unifi package, unifi Basic are now available for everyone at an affordable price of RM79 per month, bringing Malaysia in the group of other neighboring Asian countries (other than City State Countries) which offer fixed high speed broadband of 30Mbps at an affordable price,” Jaffer continued. New unifi Plans unifi is now available with simplified offerings in two (2) new plans to cater to the dynamic needs of all customers. The existing unifi Basic plan which offers the speed of 30Mbps (60GB quota) at RM79 per month is now open for all. Subscription to this plan will come with 17 free channels on playTV@unifi app which can be downloaded on Apple Store or Google Play. For customers who prefer unlimited quota to cater to their advanced digital lifestyle such as online entertainment, home surveillance, e-sports among others, the new unifi 100Mbps plan is available at only RM129 per month. This will come with unifi TV’s choice of premium entertainment packages with either Aneka Plus, Varnam Plus or Ruby Plus package. In Sarawak, unifi is currently available at 24 areas comprising more than 172,000 premises passed in 24 areas such as Kuching, Samarahan, Sri Aman, Sibu, Bintulu, Miri, Limbang among others. To date, there are over 75,000 unifi customers in Sarawak. To find out more on unifi’s latest offerings, please visit unifi.com.my.
TM reports operational improvement for 3Q2018 despite challenging environment
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Group Reported Earnings Before Interest, Tax, Depreciation and Amortisation (EBITDA) for 3Q2018 grew 11.3% to RM941.4 million as compared to RM845.9 million in 2Q2018 mainly due to lower operating costs. Group Normalised EBITDA, which excludes non-operational items, increased 13.1%, at RM930.9 million. However, due to impairment loss on wireless and fixed network assets, the Group recorded Loss Before Interest and Tax (LBIT) at RM631.8 million for 3Q2018. Without the reported impairment and other non-operational items, the Group’s Normalised Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) is at RM315.6 million for 3Q2018, a 39.4% increase against Normalised EBIT of RM226.4 million in 2Q2018. Consequently, the Group reported Loss After Tax and Non-controlling Interests (LATAMI) of RM175.6 million compared with RM102.0 million Profit After Tax and Non-controlling Interests (PATAMI) in the prior quarter. TM’s core net profit, or Normalised PATAMI excluding non-operational items, stood at RM266.4 million, a 71.0% improvement sequentially. The total capital expenditure (CAPEX) investment for the first nine months of 2018 at RM1.32 billion, or 15.1% of revenue. This is within TM’s full year capex guidance of 19-20% of revenue. By asset type, access comprised 62% of total spending, followed by core network at 15% and the remaining 23% was for support systems. Imri Mokhtar, Acting Group Chief Executive Officer, TM said: “We continue to face various headwinds from competitive market dynamics. Nonetheless, we held revenue steady over the quarter, and saw our cost reduction initiatives bearing fruit, by recording improved operational performance for QoQ and YoY. However, in light of the continued pressure from industry and market challenges and its impact on our revenue thus far, we have taken a prudent view, by undertaking the impairment of our network assets – this resulted in close to a RM1.0 billion impairment loss this quarter.” “The operational improvement in 3Q2018 is testament to the Group’s commitment to the four (4) pillars of our Performance Improvement Programme (PIP 2018) - Revenue Uplift / Preservation, Sustained Profitability, Improved Cash Flow and Increased Productivity that will navigate us through these headwinds. We are rationalising our business, reducing operating costs and focusing our resources on the opportunities that will have the most impact,” Imri elaborated. “We currently have 2.29 million broadband customers and our unifi customer base continues to grow at 1.26 million as at end of 3Q2018 as compared to 1.06 million as at the end of the corresponding quarter last year. In terms of convergence, we saw more customers moving up the value chain with having triple-play services and above, evidenced by our convergence penetration now at 48% of TM’s household penetration compared with 39% this time last year,” he added. “We will continue to strengthen our products and services portfolio and we are stepping up how we aggressively compete in the market, with greater sales and Go-To-Market activities on the ground. We are also working hard to reach more customers with various fit-for-purpose technologies to ensure that everyone can have the benefit of higher broadband speeds and enhanced experience. 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In light of the current operating landscape and after careful consideration of the potential impact on our earnings alongside our efforts to transform the Company to adapt thereto, the Board has determined the review of our dividend policy to support TM’s long-term strategic objectives.” As Malaysia’s Convergence Champion, TM remains committed to fulfilling Malaysians’ digital and communication needs of all customer segments i.e., consumer, SME, corporate enterprises, public sectors, access seekers etc via our business clusters, unifi (consumer & SME), TM ONE (Enterprise and Public sectors) and TM Global (Global and Wholesale). Prospects for the Current Financial Year Ending 31 December 2018 The recent industry challenges and market environment have had major impact to the overall revenue estimates and earnings of TM Group in the financial year. TM anticipates that the challenging environment will persist for both its retail and wholesale segments. In the midst of these challenges, TM will continue to focus towards strengthening performance of its core business and operations.
TM inculcates creativity and interest in science among students
Science made easier with TM Nano Maker Kit Learning process: Briefing session on the usage of Nano Maker Kit where students can connect the Kit to their smart devices via Bluetooth to collect experiment results data. Thrilled: Participating students conducting an experiment on force, acceleration and momentum of a car crash. In action: An outdoor experiment on water rocket launching takes the interest of the students as they measure the rocket acceleration using Nano Maker Kit. Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM) under its Corporate Responsibility (CR) initiatives, recently collaborated with its partner, Creative Minds - a company specialised in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects – to conduct a programme called TM Nano Maker Kit, involving several schools around Kuala Lumpur and Selangor. This innovation-oriented programme is an initiative by TM to inculcate interests in science and technology among the students. The programme also marked its continued commitment in promoting education exc ellence and empowering the learning of STEM in the classroom. Commenting on the programme, Izad Ismail, Head of Corporate Responsibility & External Stakeholder Management, Group Brand and Communication, TM said, “This programme requires students to innovate and create activities related to science and technology. Students in all the 10 participating schools around Kuala Lumpur and Selangor were indeed very creative. They have the potential and capabilities to innovate but they need proper guidance to express the innovation. We hope that the training and learning process shared with them during this programme will encourage them to be even more creative and excel in Science and Technology subjects.” TM Nano Maker Kit programme provides a platform for the students to collect and analyse experimental data conducted in Physic and Mathematics. TM Nano Maker Kit also aimed to boost the students' abilities through hands-on activities which involve the usage of a technology known as ‘Data Logging’ to collect real-time data for the students to analyse. There are many parameters and types of data that can be tested using the TM Nano Maker Kit, including temperature, altitude, speed, weather, acceleration, pressure, light intensity and magnetic fields. The TM Nano Maker Kit saw participation of more than 300 students from 10 schools around Kuala Lumpur and Selangor. The schools involved, which served as the pilot group were SMK Dato’ Onn, SM Sains Banting, SMK Keramat Wangsa, SMK Batu Laut, SMK Bandar Tasik Selatan, SMK Bandar Seri Putra, SMK Bukit Kucing Tengah, SMK Saujana Impian, SMK Dengkil and MRSM Sungai Besar.
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