25 May 2022
TM records steady performance in 1Q2022 with revenue & PATAMI up 2.9% & 4.4%; maintains focus on its growth strategies execution
In the second year of its Transformation, the Group is on track to achieve its 2022 market guidance, focusing on strengthening its core businesses and investing in new growth areas
Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM) continued its growth trajectory and long-term business sustainability, recording a steady performance in its First Quarter ended 31 March 2022 as compared to the same period last year (YoY).
The Group's operating revenue increased by 2.9% to RM2.89 billion, compared to RM2.81 billion in the same quarter last year, driven primarily by increased demand for voice, Internet and multimedia. Despite rising competition to offer converged solutions among telco and other technology players, TM continued to deliver strong customer growth across its operations.
Capitalising on its core businesses and investing into new growth areas, TM further ramped up its transformation initiatives, delivering profit after tax and non-controlling interests (PATAMI) for the quarter at RM339.9 million or 4.4% higher than the RM325.5 million recorded in 1Q2021. The Group also recorded lower financial costs subsequent to the early redemption of its RM2.0 billion sukuk in March 2021, as well as lower foreign exchange translation losses on borrowings. The Group has applied the Cukai Makmur statutory tax rate accordingly for the current quarter.
Accelerating into the second year of its Transformation, TM brought forward its manpower optimisation to enable earlier realisation of expected benefits to the Group. This, along with foreign exchange impact on trade settlement has led to a 5.0% decrease in EBIT at RM560.4 million for 1Q2022 compared to RM589.7 million in the same quarter last year. Excluding these costs, the Group's underlying EBIT is 14.0% higher at RM650.2 million compared to RM570.5 million in 1Q 2021. Free Cash Flow is lower by 15.1% at RM658.8 million compared to RM775.7 million due to higher CAPEX as the Group continues to invest in business expansion and meeting customers' demands through technology refresh and network delivery, ensuring steady growth.
unifi: Double-digit revenue and subscriber growth
unifi continued its growth performance, recording revenue increase of 10.6% from RM1.25 billion to RM1.38 billion in the current quarter. Sustained by increasing demand from Internet, voice and sales of devices, with cumulative fixed Internet subscribers increasing by 17.5% against the corresponding quarter last year. unifi remains the largest growth contributor for the Group.
unifi will continue to maintain its leadership in fixed broadband and enhance its Fixed-Mobile Convergence (FMC), enriched with TV and streaming content. This reflects its commitment to improve its FMC customer experience with better and seamless service. unifi will also grow its SME digital platform as a one-stop service centre for solutions catering especially to SMEs nationwide.
TM Wholesale (TMW): Higher revenue from increased demand for data services
TM Wholesale (TMW) also recorded a growth performance for 1Q2022, with revenue increasing by 1.2% from RM631.9 million in 1Q2021 to RM639.5 million, mainly contributed by higher revenue from voice and data services. This was underpinned by increasing demand from High-speed Broadband Access (HSBA) and higher International Voice and Data.
To date, TMW continues to enable industry broadband and 4G network via its fibre infrastructure, with the ongoing 5G rollout further strengthening that role. On the international front, it will continue to serve other OTTs and hyperscalers with connectivity and data centres, while regionally, TM Wholesale aspires to establish Malaysia as a digital hub for ASEAN via new submarine cables, enhanced data centre solutions and edge computing.
TM One: Renewed focus on growing B2B digital solutions market
TM One, the Group's enterprise and public sector arm, recorded a 7.4% decrease in revenue from RM925.2 million to RM856.8 million in 1Q2022 due to decline in data services revenue.
Strengthening and growing its B2B digital solutions, TM One has focused its efforts on high potential industry verticals, namely healthcare, manufacturing, education, oil & gas, banking, financial services & insurance (BFSI) and public sector. It has entered a partnership with Tune Protect and Huawei Malaysia that saw Tune Protect becoming the first organisation in Malaysia to host an insurance core system on public cloud (Cloud αEdge).
Commentary and Outlook from Imri Mokhtar, TM Group Chief Executive Officer
"With our economy and borders reopening, TM is powering Malaysia's journey on its road towards recovery, by ensuring the vision of an inclusive and extensive Digital Malaysia becomes a reality.
"Into the second year of our Transformation, we are focused on strengthening our core business while investing into new growth areas to meet customers' demands. In ensuring sustainability in the long run, we continue to grow our profitability to invest and seize opportunities arising from digital acceleration.
"One of these opportunities is in the exciting space of digital solutions and services for enterprises. Building on TM One's existing capability and relationships with enterprises and the public sector, we will deliver speed and agility through our new digital arm Credence: a corporate start-up led by technology leaders.
"unifi continues to better its fixed broadband and Fixed-Mobile Convergence value proposition to improve customer experience, while expanding our offerings to provide quality entertainment to customers at home or on-the-go.
"We have also achieved some key milestones in our sustainability efforts. TM One has successfully secured the Green Electricity Tariff from Tenaga Nasional Berhad for its data centres in Kuala Lumpur, Cyberjaya and Johor Bahru, contributing to a lower carbon footprint as the demand for cloud storage inevitably increases. This is in addition to the existing Green Building Index (GBI) certification earlier obtained for its core data centres. TM's broader ESG commitment also remains consistent with Malaysia's initiatives towards achieving net-zero Greenhouse Gas emission for the country by 2050.
"Meanwhile, TM Wholesale continues to establish Malaysia as a regional digital hub via new submarine cables, edge computing, data centres and supporting international connectivity. On the domestic front, TM Wholesale continues performing its role as the enabler for industry broadband, 4G and 5G network via fibre infrastructure that will transform the nation's connectivity capabilities."
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TM Delivers Strong Performance Amidst Challenging Market Conditions in 3Q 2023
3Q 2023 Key Highlights (vs 3Q 2022) · Operating Revenue declined 2.6% to RM3.08 billion, due to market challenges · PATAMI grew 102.9% from RM265.2 million to RM538.2 million · CAPEX investment stood at 15.1% of revenue or RM1.38 billion, mainly for network infrastructure expansion KUALA LUMPUR, 23 November 2023 – Telekom Malaysia Berhad (“TM” or “the Group”) demonstrates resilience in the face of challenging market dynamics, delivering stronger financial performance in the third quarter ended 30 September 2023 (3Q 2023), compared to the corresponding period last year. This steadfast momentum solidifies TM’s position in the local and global telecommunications landscape. The Group’s Profit After Tax and Non-Controlling Interest (PATAMI) experienced a surge of 102.9% from RM265.2 million to RM538.2 million, against a revenue of RM3.08 billion primarily attributed to a lower tax impact and reduced net finance costs. The strong performance of two of TM’s lines of business, Unifi and TM Global played a pivotal role in this growth. Unifi’s fixed broadband subscription increased 4.6% reaching 3.12 million, while TM Global’s revenue increased due to heightened demand for both domestic and international data services. The Group’s year-to-date (YTD) Capital Expenditure (CAPEX) investment stood at RM1.38 billion or 15.1% of the overall revenue. This strategic allocation of resources is directed towards the nationwide network infrastructure expansion and enhancement of its regional submarine cable system. Reflecting on the 3Q 2023 performance, Amar Huzaimi Md Deris, TM’s Group Chief Executive Officer said, “I am pleased to announce the significant strides we have made amidst intensified competition. Our commitment to advancing quad-play convergence services, coupled with the introduction of attractive and competitive packages, enabled us to retain and expand our customer base, solidifying our portfolio as the true convergence champion. “Our relentless pursuit of improving mobile coverage nationwide aligns with our dedication to inclusivity, bridging the digital divide, and fostering widespread digital adoption. By ensuring our services are accessible to all, we contribute to creating a more connected and inclusive society. “Simultaneously, our aggressive expansion of data and network infrastructure is strategically positioned to meet the growing demands of our domestic market and attract more international players. This is a crucial step towards positioning Malaysia as a digital hub for the region, contributing significantly to the creation of a globally connected digital economy. “TM supports the recently launched New Industrial Master Plan (NIMP) 2030 and we are well positioned to unlock technological opportunities whilst driving innovation for the nation and key economic sectors. As we continue our journey towards humanising technologies, our commitment extends beyond services to the development and refinement of smart innovative solutions. It is not just about technological advancement and improving business outcomes but also about enhancing lives, bringing positive impact to the environment and society. “In summary, these initiatives underscore our goals to foster digitalisation and emerging technologies. Our comprehensive approach reflects TM’s position as a trailblazer in the ever-evolving landscape, with a clear focus on driving positive change and shaping the future of digital connectivity”, added Amar. LINES OF BUSINESS PERFORMANCE Unifi Drives Innovation and Maintains Growth Trajectory Unifi recorded 0.7% revenue growth reaching RM1.41 billion, propelled by effective convergence campaigns and robust customer retention activities. As leader of converged offerings, Unifi continues to elevate connectivity at home and on-the-go through the country’s best fibre network, superior 4G coverage and an expanding 5G nationwide footprint. Driven by vibrant content offerings, improved mobile coverage and competitive new packages, Unifi caters to diverse consumer lifestyles and digital experiences for Malaysians. Unifi received the Open Signal 5G Global Awards 2023, recognising it as one of the fastest 5G telcos in the world. Unifi Business serves close to 400,000 MSMEs nationwide and further strengthened its position as a preferred digital partner. Its diverse digital solutions help MSMEs build stronger brand presence and online visibility, enhanced by ultra-speed broadband internet and 5G mobile to empower their business. Looking ahead, Unifi is solidifying its true convergence leadership and powering the MSME digital ecosystem, driving continuous innovation for the nation’s connectivity needs. TM One Navigates Challenges, Continues to Drive Smart Innovation Despite intense competition, TM One remains a resilient and trusted partner for enterprises and the public sector. Recently, TM One forged a successful collaboration with the Selangor government to launch the Selangor Government Data Exchange (SelGDX) portal, positioning Selangor as the first state in Malaysia to develop a data-sharing platform across its 48 agencies and departments. The portal facilitates secure, fast, and accurate data sharing and processing with enhanced efficiency while fostering transparency and good governance. In August, CyberSecurity Malaysia recognised TM One for its role in safeguarding the Critical National Information Infrastructure through its Security Operations Centre and Network Operations Centre. The award reinforces TM One's commitment to protecting data and devices across all network environments, contributing significantly to national security and opens the door to new cybersecurity solution opportunities. Moving forward, TM One maintains its focus on managed converged next-gen connectivity, smart services, cloud and cybersecurity while remaining steadfast in providing fit-for-purpose solutions to enable industry digital transformation and economic growth. TM One is well positioned to support the recently launched NIMP 2030, dedicated to enabling innovative solutions for the nation and key sectors, spurring new opportunities and driving continuous innovation. TM Global Strengthens Malaysia position as the Preferred Digital Hub for ASEAN TM Global reported a 5.0% revenue increase to RM808.6 million from RM769.9 million, driven by encouraging demand for both domestic and international data services. TM Global actively contributed to Malaysia’s digital transformation through continuous deployment of 5G infrastructure, HSBB access and edge facilities nationwide. These facilities set the foundation for industry players to offer new innovative 5G solutions and industry specific use cases. Despite market challenges, TM Global mitigated the risk through strong collaborations with industry players in promoting wholesale broadband solutions to drive internet inclusivity for the nation. TM Global signed a Memorandum of Understanding with SK Telecom for the joint development of Multi-Access Edge Computing and participated in the Asia Link Cable System to enhance submarine cable capacity from Malaysia to Asia, amplifying inbound traffic, laying a solid foundation for the future of Malaysia's digital landscape. Looking ahead, TM Global remains focused on advancing 5G and broadband infrastructure, whilst expanding its submarine cable system and building regional scale in Content Delivery Network. It will further expand its edge and data centre capabilities, positioning Malaysia as the preferred digital hub for ASEAN. 2023 Market Guidance Revenue Growth Flat EBIT RM1.8bil - RM2.0bil CAPEX/Revenue 18% - 20% The Group is on track to achieve its 2023 market guidance, reinforcing its commitment to powering a digital future.
CONSOLIDATION OF TM’S BUSINESS IN MALAYSIA INTO TM TECH TO STRENGTHEN CONVERGENCE LEADERSHIP AND IMPROVE OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY
Following the earlier communication on 14 December 2022, Telekom Malaysia Berhad (“TM”) today announced the internal reorganisation of its business in Malaysia into a single operating entity named TM Technology Services Sdn Bhd (“TM Tech”) following the approval of various bodies, including the High Court of Malaysia and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission. Effective today, 1st March 2023, Telekom Malaysia Berhad will serve as an investment holding company for this single operating entity (TM Tech), along with other wholly owned subsidiaries, covering TM’s international, digital, education, support business and other non-wholly owned subsidiaries. This group in totality will continue to be governed by the current TM’s Board of Directors and managed by the same Senior Management team. The reorganisation into TM Tech – which includes Unifi, TM One and TM Global, amongst others – marks the next phase of TM’s transformation that will reinforce its fixed-mobile convergence (FMC) position, further improve operational efficiencies and deliver a more seamless customer experience. Resource-wise, the reorganisation brings together the diverse talents, facilitating greater cross-functional collaboration and agility through more streamlined and simplified processes. Group CEO of TM, Dato’ Imri Mokhtar explained, “As customer demand, increasing competition and stakeholder expectations reshape the industry, it is timely to consolidate our telco business in Malaysia into a single operating entity that will allow us to serve our diverse customer segments better and quicker, as well as drive operational efficiency.” “We have recently notified all of our valued customers on this internal reorganisation via email and digital letters. At this point, for all payment transactions - the beneficiary name will now be “TM Technology Services Sdn Bhd” instead of “Telekom Malaysia Berhad”. All other payment details remain the same, such as the bank account and JomPAY code,” Imri added. “The success of TM to shape a Digital Malaysia through technology that empowers communities, businesses and Government truly lies in our Warga TM. With majority of Warga TM realigned into this single operating entity, the individual job functions, entitlements and benefits will remain unchanged. Similarly, all of TM’s current obligations in terms of partnerships, vendor and service agreements will remain in effect.” “We believe this reorganisation will strengthen TM’s role in advancing the country’s digital economy and to serve our growing customers in a more cohesive manner. It will reinforce TM’s competitive edge, solidifying our transition towards being a human-centred TechCo,” Imri concluded.
TM One poised to offer comprehensive data centre capacity and data sovereignty for the government’s digital transformation
As the sole local CSP, TM One will ensure data sovereignty and greater trust, privacy and security in the migration and storage of Government and citizen data With the Malaysian Government’s Cloud Framework Agreement (CFA) formalised, the appointed Cloud Service Providers (CSPs) and Managed Service Providers (MSPs) must now demonstrate their strategic offerings to potential clients. Anticipating the extended capabilities needed to implement the Government’s strategic shift to cloud, TM One, the enterprise and public sector business arm of Telekom Malaysia Group (TM), continues to expand its data centre portfolio. Furthermore, as the sole local CSP, TM One’s established in-country data centres, infrastructure and services ensure that all operations and transactions are independent of foreign regulations or third-party policies and requirements – which imparts greater agility and trust in the migration and supervision of Government and citizen data. Imri Mokhtar, Group Chief Executive Officer of TM said, “As Malaysia’s leader in end-to-end cloud and data centre services, we are committed to strengthening our digital offerings to meet the Government’s MyGovCloud requirements. Investing into the growth of our data centres will enable us to manage the volumes of public data throughout and after the migration process. Our locally-based infrastructure and cloud services also enable us to support the unique needs of the Malaysian Government, especially on data sovereignty.” With several carrier-neutral data centre facilities in Malaysia and one in Hong Kong that operate as multi-cloud providers for various hyperscalers, TM One is on course to launch its tenth centre, which will be a Tier III/Rated 3 Data Centre, anticipated to be unveiled in Q3 2022. With no less than 3MW of power and the ability to accommodate 700 equipment racks, this data centre will aim to improve power efficiency through its cooling system design which runs on modular air-cooled chillers. Across the board, TM One continues to strive towards achieving lower Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) while meeting the SLA of the customers. Similar to TM’s other globally certified hyperscale data centres in the Klang Valley, Iskandar Puteri and Brickfields, this new centre will also conform to security standards and certifications including ISO27001, PCI DSS, DCRA and TVRA which will safeguard the Government’s data and assets. Shazurawati Abd Karim, Executive Vice President of TM One said, “This latest edition to TM One’s data centres will include enhanced data security capabilities through TM One’s Cyber Defence Centre (CYDEC), addressing the Government’s potential risk areas including cybersecurity, compliance, privacy, ethics and social responsibility. To facilitate the transformative journey of individual Government agencies, TM One’s Professional Services team, along with our partner MSP, Cloud Connect, will work closely with these agencies on Cloud Design Planning, Migration Services, and Workload Optimisation Services, customising the solutions and experiences to the unique needs of each agency.” Cloud Connect, a local cloud broker and software engineering company will partner with TM One as its dedicated MSP. Having worked with service providers, enterprises, small-and-medium businesses, as well as Government agencies for a decade, Cloud Connect has a proven track record of implementing multiple enterprise integration projects, bringing together the right people, processes, and technological capabilities. This makes Cloud Connect the perfect fit to deliver TM One’s end-to-end cloud infrastructure and services to Government institutions in their transformation journey. Also addressing the importance of data residency, locality and sovereignty in the MyGovCloud endeavour, Shazurawati explains, “Our hyperscaled and intelligent cloud solutions and data centre facilities are governed by the laws of Malaysia, which guarantees data sovereignty and privacy for the Malaysian Government and its citizens. This removes the need and risk of foreign laws and policy intervention or inclusion, ensuring data privacy and security, while enabling greater flexibility and agility in Government services. “With our deep understanding of the Malaysian landscape and a full suite of established services and infrastructure, we are confident that our infrastructure, solutions, and partnership with Cloud Connect will enable the Government to reach their next advantage, today and tomorrow,” she concluded.
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