15 Oct 2020
TM takes action to curb further Covid-19 spread; continues to serve the nation with essential services
Reactivates “Work From Home” nationwide following new cases recorded
Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM) today confirmed that since its previous announcement on 11 October 2020, ten (10) further positive cases of Covid-19 have been recorded amongst its employees; bringing a total of 13 positive cases thus far. The newly affected areas include Menara TM and TM Annexe 1 in Kuala Lumpur as well as at a network node in Rawang. This is in addition to the earlier affected areas of Menara TM ONE in Damansara, Kuala Lumpur and Kepayan office in Kota Kinabalu.
From the 13 cases, the Company is pleased to announce that three (3) employees have been discharged from the hospital and quarantine centre they were admitted to, and are continuing their recovery and home-quarantine for 14 days. Meanwhile, the other ten (10) employees are currently receiving treatment.
Following the new positive cases, detailed contact tracing is being carried out by the Ministry of Health (MoH), assisted by TM's COVID-19 Crisis Response Team (CRT), to identify and inform those whom had close contact with the affected employees. Identified close contacts are being contacted by MoH for further advice and action.
TM immediately took the necessary actions which include immediate closure of the affected premises for seven (7) days to facilitate thorough disinfection and sanitisation in accordance to the guidelines set by MoH. The disinfection and sanitisation works at TM Annexe 1 and the network node in Rawang have been completed on 14 October 2020, Menara TM ONE on 13 October, while the work at Menara TM is ongoing and expected to be completed by 5.00 pm today. TM offices in Sabah, Kedah and other Red Zone areas had been closed much earlier as proactive precaution in correspondence to the increasing cases there recently.
With immediate effect, TM is also activating "Work From Home" (WFH) arrangements for all Warga TM nationwide until 31 October 2020. On Monday, TM had implemented the same for TM employees in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya, ahead of the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) announced.
Commenting on the latest developments, Group Chief Executive Officer of TM, Imri Mokhtar said, "The sudden rise in cases amongst our Warga TM family, and indeed throughout the nation is of worrying concern. I join the Board, management and all Warga TM in praying for the speedy recovery of the affected employees as well as for the safety, protection and health of all Malaysians during these testing times. Meanwhile, we have taken immediate action and activated safety protocols for the buildings and areas affected. Most importantly for our employees, we are announcing working from home arrangements for all Warga TM nationwide effective today till the end of October. As TM provides essential services for the nation, our frontliners involved in critical functions serving our wide base of customers shall continue to work, adhering to the SOP guidelines from the authorities."
"Over 4,700 critical function employees at our TMpoints, contact centres, field teams for service installation and restoration continue to lead the front line in serving our community, businesses and Government in the Red Zones. This is even more important especially when many Malaysians are now back to working from home. To all the TM frontliners and the TM Covid-19 Response Team (CRT), our highest appreciation for stepping up in the line of duty, and our prayers for your safety and protection," he added.
TM is also providing free Covid-19 swab tests in collaboration with its panel of medical service providers for employees who may have been exposed to the virus. This is yet another proactive measure taken by the Company to curb the spread of the virus amongst its employees. Identified employees can undergo the test from 15 October 2020 onwards at a temporary drive-through facility set up at Menara TM. More facilities will be set up at other locations, if required.
TM would also like to remind everyone at all times to keep safe social distance, hygiene and adhere to the SOPs as advised by the Government. The Company urges everyone who has any symptoms to seek medical attention and not risk further exposure to their loved ones and anyone else. TM wishes for the safety and health of all Malaysians nationwide; together may we return stronger.
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TM collaborates with Malaysia telecommunications tower providers for access to tower sites facilities
The strategic collaboration affirms TM’s commitment and readiness to drive Malaysia’s Digital Economy aspirations as the national digital infrastructure accelerator Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM) marked another milestone as the national connectivity and digital infrastructure provider when its wholesale domestic and international business arm, TM WHOLESALE, entered into a collaboration with nine (9) tower providers (TowerCos), enabling access to tower sites facilities. The nine (9) TowerCos are the members of Persatuan Penyedia Infrastruktur Telekomunikasi (PPIT), namely D'Harmoni Telco Infra Sdn Bhd, Melaka ICT Holdings Sdn Bhd, Perlis Comm Sdn Bhd, Infra Quest Sdn Bhd, Perak Integrated Network Services Sdn Bhd, EdgePoint Towers Sdn Bhd, PDC Telecommunication Services Sdn Bhd, Desabina Industries Sdn Bhd and Yiked Bina Sdn Bhd. The ceremony was held recently in Johor Bahru attended by TM and nine (9) other TowerCos. TM was represented by Amar Huzaimi Md Deris, Executive Vice President, TM WHOLESALE, while the TowerCos were represented by: Dato' Haji Mohd Rehat Ahmad, Chief Operating Officer, D'Harmoni Telco Infra Sdn Bhd, who is also the President of PPIT Dato' Mohd Fauzi Yaakub, Deputy Chairman, Melaka ICT Holdings Sdn Bhd Dato' Ramli Abd Rahman, Managing Director, Perlis Comm Sdn Bhd Ab Aziz Yunus, Executive Chairman, Infra Quest Sdn Bhd Iwan Che Wan Che Ismail, Chief Executive Officer / Managing Director, Perak Integrated Network Services Sdn Bhd Muniff Kamaruddin, Chief Executive Officer, EdgePoint Towers Sdn Bhd Hasmunir Hamid, Acting Chief Executive Officer, PDC Telecommunication Services Sdn Bhd Shikh Badrudden Shikh Ismail, General Manager, Desabina Industries Sdn Bhd Azhan Abdul Hamid, General Manager, Yiked Bina Sdn Bhd Under the collaboration, the nine (9) TowerCos will provide TM with access to their tower sites, including land and rooftop facilities. This will enable TM to connect the towers with its high-speed fibre optic network to support high quality network performance and capability. Commenting on the collaboration, Amar Huzaimi said, "TM through TM WHOLESALE, is committed to ensuring our national telecommunication industry is provided with cutting edge connectivity and extensive fibre infrastructure solutions as a catalyst to accelerate the delivery of a high quality digital experience to all Malaysians, true to our role as national digital infrastructure accelerator. This will allow service providers to serve their customers with faster connectivity speed and greater bandwidth capacity for the current 4G and future 5G services nationwide. This partnership further demonstrates our commitment as the enabler of Digital Malaysia in supporting the country's digital aspirations, which include the Jalinan Digital Negara (JENDELA) and the Malaysia Digital Economy Blueprint (MyDIGITAL)." Meanwhile, Dato' Hj Mohd Rehat said, "TM has been a long-standing partner of PPIT for over a decade, and together, we have developed a high level of trust among each other. After a few series of fruitful discussions, PPIT and TM have once again agreed to ink a new collaboration to continue to work hand-in-hand in respect of the access to tower sites facilities."
TM AND SINGTEL’S NXERA FORM JOINT VENTURE TO DEVELOP NEXT-GENERATION DATA CENTRES
KUALA LUMPUR, SINGAPORE, 18 JUNE 2024 – TM is partnering Nxera, the regional data centre arm of Singtel’s Digital InfraCo unit, in a joint venture to develop data centres in Malaysia starting with a sustainable, hyper-connected AI-ready data centre campus in Johor. This strategic partnership aims to serve the needs of hyperscalers, next-generation AI application providers and enterprises pursuing accelerated digitalisation and cloud in the region. The joint venture is a unique proposition, bolstered by the extensive subsea cable networks of TM and Singtel’s Digital InfraCo which provide global connectivity and enhanced network performance with lower latency and improved reliability. Amar Huzaimi Md Deris, TM’s Group Chief Executive Officer, said, "Establishing a hyper-connected AI-ready data centre marks the next phase in our long-standing partnership with Singtel, leveraging our strengths and commitment to elevate ASEAN as the preferred digital hub destination. TM brings the largest domestic network infrastructure, extensive international subsea cable systems and the largest interconnected DC in Malaysia, a solid backbone for this project. This will serve as a catalyst for high performance computing and lay a solid foundation for the future advancement of cloud and AI applications. This collaboration of two main telcos in the region is unique and has positive impact to the development of digital ecosystem that not only benefit the businesses but also nurturing future talent. Through this partnership, TM continues to demonstrate its dedication to delivering innovative and sustainable solutions, marking a pivotal step in our aspiration to becoming a Digital Powerhouse by 2030.” Bill Chang, CEO of Nxera and Singtel's Digital InfraCo unit, said, "We are excited to enter the Malaysian market with TM as our strategic partner. This collaboration advances our vision to be the region’s leading sustainable, hyperconnected AI-ready data centre platform, supporting businesses with the digital infrastructure needed for the growing demand for cloud, digitalisation and AI. The development of this first data centre campus in Johor, which can be expanded in phases, demonstrates our ability to scale quickly in markets that are important to our customers. With our joint industry expertise and strong track record, we will build and operate one of the most efficient, sustainable and connectivity-rich data centres in Malaysia. In addition to data centres, we will be expanding the submarine cable connectivity between Singapore and Johor to enhance digital connectivity. Our joint venture will also partner institutes of higher learning in Malaysia to nurture talent for our projects and the industry. Our strategy of developing data centre sites with close proximity to our operations in Singapore allow us to capture spill-over demand from our customers and help them scale their business with confidence.” Located in Iskandar Puteri, just 16 km from Singapore, the data centre campus will be the largest to date for both TM and Nxera. It will be built to the latest standards for reliability, security and sustainability while offering the best local and international connectivity. With its close proximity to subsea cable links between Singapore and Malaysia, the data centre will be well-placed to support the increasing demand from both countries’ digitalisation and development initiatives. The initial phase of the data centre is planned for 64MW and can be scaled up to 200MW in response to market demand. This high-power density campus will be able to host large computing and AI capabilities such as requirements by cloud hyperscalers, GPU-as-a-Service providers and features advanced technologies such as liquid cooling to support high-power density workloads and operations efficiently. The data centre will be a LEED-certified (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) green building, emphasising its commitment to greater energy efficiency and sustainable practices. As Malaysia’s integrated telco and technology leader, TM will contribute its expertise in the region’s network infrastructure deployment to deliver customised range of wholesale data, connectivity, data centre and platform solutions catering to both local and international needs. Additionally, TM also provides Cloud services via its sovereign Cloud Alpha Edge solution. TM currently operates seven data centres across Malaysia with 2 core data centres located in Klang Valley and Johor. Its entry into the Asia Link Cable Systems (ALC) partnership facilitates the laying of a submarine cable system spanning approximately 7,200km, with an initial design capacity of 24 Terabits/sec. Coupled with the establishment of an international Cable Landing Station at TM Exchange Kuala Sedili, Johor, these serve as vital infrastructure enhancements to accelerate the growth of the data centre industry in the state. Nxera is a rapidly growing regional platform backed by Singtel and leading global investment firm KKR, leveraging its data centre operations in Singapore to expand overseas. Customers can also tap into a host of services such as Singtel’s Paragon cloud orchestration platform and upcoming GPU-as-a-Service. They will be able to orchestrate their AI workloads in a multi-network and multi-cloud environment, serving as a catalyst for greater innovation, entrepreneurship and business excellence. Nxera is developing three new AI-ready data centres in the region in addition to 62MW of existing capacity in Singapore. This includes a new 58MW data centre in Tuas, Singapore and data centres with partners in Indonesia and Thailand. Nxera’s total pipeline capacity is set to increase from its current operational capacity of 62MW in Singapore to more than 200MW in the region in the next three years. The data centres will be served by Digital InfraCo's comprehensive network of subsea fibre-optic cables which provide customers with the best country-to-country connectivity in the Asia Pacific region.
TM wins again at Malaysia Technology Excellence Awards 2021 for its innovation, patrol
This is the fourth award received by TM at Malaysia Technology Excellence Awards in three years running Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM) through its innovation arm, TM Research & Development (TM R&D) wins the AI – Telecommunications Award at the recent Malaysia Technology Excellence Awards 2021, presented by Singapore Business Review. The award was conferred in recognition of the Company's achievement in developing PATROL as a proof of function for research particularly on automatic detection of construction using vehicle dashcam and generate proactive alerts using artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning algorithms. This is the fourth award received by TM R&D from the Malaysia Technology Excellence Awards in its three years of running. The awards ceremony lauds exceptional companies that have successfully pioneered IT products, solutions and innovative technology projects in their respective industries to boost Malaysia's fast-growing economy. Commenting on the accomplishment, Dr. Sharlene Thiagarajah, Chief Executive Officer, TM R&D said, "This is indeed a proud moment for us. Winning the award is a huge boost for our effort in showcasing how AI can be applied to solve real-life problems. It is also a huge encouragement for us to further strengthen our position as the leader in the research, development and innovation field. This award goes out to the team for delivering such outstanding work. We hope it will give them the drive to explore more innovations for TM to serve a more digital society, digital business, digital industry and digital Government, towards accelerating Digital Malaysia." Project PATROL was developed to provide early warning alerts on areas where TM infrastructure has a high risk of being destroyed due to civil and construction works by a third party. Ideally, before the civil or construction works were to begin, TM and other utility companies are to be consulted to ensure proper precautionary measures are taken to avoid telecommunication cable or other utility infrastructure cuts such as water or sewerage. The cable cuts will lead to loss of broadband and other telecommunication services which will cause major inconveniences to consumer lifestyle and businesses, as well as operation nightmare for any telcos. To fill in those gaps, PATROL was developed powered by digital and AI capabilities. PATROL leverages AI, object detection capabilities and the Internet of Things (IoT) to detect a construction area using a dashcam. The system then automatically checks if the unregistered civil and construction activity is in close proximity to underground or overhead cable infrastructure. Several parameters are used to assess risk before an alert is sent to the Network Operations Centre for investigation. "PATROL provides real-time alerts on civil and construction activities that pose a high risk to the security and safety of TM's cable infrastructure. This information allows telco providers to act fast in preventing possible threats to their assets. With PATROL, we foresee a huge opportunity for operational cost avoidance due to cable cut cases," she further added. Established in 2001, TM R&D is the innovation arm for TM Group focusing on creating smarter ecosystems to make business and life easier for a better Malaysia. TM R&D's solutions are clustered around four (4) pillars namely Intelligent Platforms, Data Brokerage, Connectivity/Tools and IR4.0/Digital Solutions. Growing from strength to strength since 2016, TM R&D has won multiple global awards and generated more than 2,800 Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) and 1,400 digital assets to date. TM R&D's innovations are all developed in-house and cut across multiple verticals such as Utilities, Retail, Agriculture, Healthcare and Education with safety and productivity as the top priority. As TM R&D continues to expand beyond connectivity and into smarter digital ecosystems, its role in TM has become more prominent and exciting. For more information about TM R&D and its innovations, visit www.tmrnd.com.my or email your inquiry to business@tmrnd.com.my or follow them on LinkedIn (TM Research & Development) for more news and updates.
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