19 Feb 2018

TM appoints Dato’ Mohd Rais Azhar as the new CTIO

TM appoints Dato’ Mohd Rais Azhar as the new CTIO Article Header
General

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 Rais Azhar

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.

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE

03 Jan 2019
TM eases the burden of its adopted school

Zulkarnain Hassim, Assistant Manager, TM Miri (2nd from right), representing TM Sarawak handing over the mock cheque of the contribution to Raja Manikam, the Principal of SMK Medamit (2nd from left), flanked by Azizul Salfaizal Aziz, Assistant Manager, Corporate Responsibility, TM (left) and Dayang Rohani Bujang of TM Sarawak (right). Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM) recently lent a helping hand to one of its adopted schools, Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Medamit, Limbang, Sarawak with a cash contribution of RM13,000.00 to help rebuild the school’s administration building which was destroyed in a fire recently. Zulkarnain Hassim, Assistant Manager, TM Miri who represented Jafer Sadig Abdul Lathiff, State General Manager, TM Sarawak handed over the cash contribution to Raja Manikam, the Principal of SMK Medamit. Commenting on the initiative, Jafer Sadig said; “We hope this contribution will assist and alleviate some of the school’s burden to rebuild its administration building as well as to purchase the necessary office equipment, especially with the school’s new season has already begun. TM will continue to support and lend a helping hand to those in need in any way possible, including towards a nation-building cause through sustainable initiatives. Furthermore, SMK Medamit is one of the schools under TM Adopted School programme which is part of TM’s Corporate Responsibility initiative.”  Meanwhile, members of the public can contribute to Tabung Bantuan Kebakaran SMK Medamit, which was launched via TM’s e-donation application called ‘Ensani’.

23 Jan 2018
Communities in Sri Aman can now enjoy TM’s unifi high speed broadband service

unifi, Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM) Group’s premier Convergence Communications Services Provider is officially made available in Sri Aman, Sarawak with the recent launch of the high speed broadband service in the area - further strengthening TM’s presence as Malaysia’s Convergence Champion, bringing unlimited experiences, unmatched choices and unbeatable value to more Malaysians. The launch was officiated by Y.B. Dato’ Masir Kujat, Deputy Home Minister who is also the Member of Parliament of Sri Aman, together with Jafer Sadig Abdul Lathiff, Acting State General Manager, TM Sarawak. Speaking at the event, Jafer said, “The launch of unifi in Sri Aman signifies our milestone in the deployment of unifi to towns outside the major cities of Sarawak. This initiative directly supports the state’s Digital Economy Transformation agenda and as Malaysia’s Convergence Champion, TM is committed to empower our customers across all segments, delivering an enhanced digital lifestyle to more Malaysians. By making unifi available in Sri Aman, TM does not only reach out to our customers, but also to enable the local communities, particularly here in Sarawak to experience TM’s full suite of offerings. With the speed of 100Mbps, our unifi packages will definitely enable you to do so much more!” “We are committed to continue empowering a digital lifestyle for all Malaysians by offering comprehensive suite of converged services across all segments – fixed, mobile and nomadic. As technologies evolved, we offer steady reduction in price per Mbps over the years hence increasing our customers’ affordability. For local businesses, TM is excited to be an enabler and accelerator of your business opportunities so your business can grow and expand beyond boundaries. TM as the trusted partner in nation-building initiatives, has been investing in sub-urban and rural areas in addressing digital divide for national interest and we remain steadfast in our role as the country’s key enabler for national communications infrastructure,” Jafer elaborated. Meanwhile, YB Dato Masir Kujat said, “The unifi service offering in Sri Aman is timely considering the state of Sarawak is currently embarking on digital economy to further propel its economy growth. In order for digital economy to be implemented successfully, the telecommunication infrastructure to support high-speed internet connectivity needs to be made available with the latest fiber optic technology. The network has to be extensive throughout the state not only covering the urban areas but also the sub-urban and rural areas. This is to ensure that the rural communities are not left behind in experiencing the high-speed internet hence reducing the digital gap with their urban counterparts.” Besides the existing unifi LITE, ADVANCE and PRO plans with speeds of 100Mbps, TM is currently offering unifi edu and unifi ebiz packages specifically for students and e-entrepreneurs. The unifi edu package offers broadband access that comes with unifi wifi at an attractive price to support the development of youth and IPT students with access, which they can utilise to further improve their academic performance, wherever they are at their convenience. Meanwhile, in addressing the needs of key economic drivers such as technopreneurs, as well as to support the local SMEs and start-ups, unifi ebiz pack was introduced with the addition of ICT solution add-ons such as Instaweb, a helpful tool that enables self-built business websites and analytical capabilities to help boost their online businesses.  For unifi customers who wish to remain connected even when outside their home, TM has recently launched ‘i-foundit!’ app where customers can access unifi wifi at over 7,300 unifi wifi hotspots (and growing!) nationwide. The 'i-foundit!' app can be downloaded via Google Play Store or Apple App Store for free.  For more information on how TM can make your life and business easier, visit www.tm.com.my .

08 Mar 2018
TM and Huawei seal strategic partnership to further enhance malaysia’s broadband reach and digital economy

As pioneers in the rollout of high speed broadband in the country, Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM) and Huawei Technologies (M) Sdn Bhd (Huawei) are once again collaborating for the betterment of broadband and digital economy for the nation. The companies recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for both parties to work hand-in-hand in multiple collaboration activities, leveraging on each other’s core expertise and capabilities to accelerate fibre broadband network reach, in line with the Government’s move to drive Malaysia’s digital economy. The collaboration will leverage on the combined strengths and capabilities of both companies to further accelerate national broadband reach and leap-frog the adoption of a connected digital lifestyle and the Internet of Things (IOTs) amongst Malaysians. Via the strategic partnership, both TM and Huawei will play a more proactive developmental role in providing ready infrastructure and ecosystem to support the nation’s growth. The MoU was signed by Datuk Bazlan Osman, Executive Director / Deputy Group Chief Executive Officer, TM and Foo Fang Yong, Vice President of Huawei Technologies (M) Sdn Bhd. The signing ceremony was witnessed by Dato’ Sri Mohammed Shazalli Ramly, Managing Director / Group Chief Executive Officer, TM and Baker Zhou, Chief Executive Officer of Huawei Technologies (M) Sdn Bhd. Commenting on the partnership, Dato’ Sri Mohammed Shazalli Ramly said, “We are indeed excited to be working hand in hand with a leading global name such as Huawei to accelerate the offering of digital services and solutions to the nation thus further support the Government’s aspirations of digital economy. As the trusted partner in key nation-building initiatives, TM ensures the safety and security of the nation's strategic and critical infrastructure, and in accelerating the broadband reach for all Malaysians. We believe that strategic collaborations such as this MoU is yet another testament of our role as the country’s key enabler for the national communications infrastructure.” Meanwhile, Baker Zhou said: “Telekom Malaysia and Huawei have been working hand-in-hand for 15 years. In the past 15 years, we have worked together to connect more people than ever before. We are now at the crossroads of digital transformation. With today's MoU, we can share more, innovate better, and work more closely than ever before. Huawei will fully support TM’s vision of “Making Life and Business Easier”, and will work together with TM to building a better connected and intelligent Malaysia.” The inking of the MoU marks the parties’ commitment to collaborate to deliver digital solutions for businesses and public sector, explore innovative solutions for network optimisation and implement initiatives that will capture TM customers’ share of moments. The MoU also envisages other areas across TM Group of Companies including network and technology planning, exploration of innovative business model for unifi, transformation of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) to enhance overall efficiency of TM’s IT and Business support platform, smart device cooperation, establishment of Multimedia University (MMU) Smart Campus model and knowledge sharing on innovative technology. According to the MoU, Huawei will share its extensive global best practices to help TM capitalise emerging opportunities quickly through big data aided network design and deployment, intelligent Smart Capex solution to respond fast to TM customer needs, and simplify business engagement between both organisations via inter-connecting IT processes. Through this strategic partnership, TM aspires to pursue the innovation and commercialisation of technology which includes Internet of Things (IoTs), cloud technology and artificial intelligence towards delivering digital experience to more Malaysians nationwide. TM will also explore alternative wireless technology deployment to further expand high speed broadband reach across Malaysia; bridging the digital divide and meeting the Government’s objective of a truly connected society. The MoU is subject to a definitive agreement to be signed between the parties in specific areas. Further announcements will be made in due course, as and when appropriate.  

NEWSLETTER

Just drop your details and stay updated with the world of Telekom Malaysia. We promise – no spam!​