Telekom Research & Development Sdn Bhd (TM R&D), the innovation arm of Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM), recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Al-Quds University (AQU) to foster industry-academia collaboration for joint research in Next Generation Communication Technologies and to create an institution for innovation and technology transfer.
Dr. Sharlene Thiagarajah, Chief Executive Officer, TM R&D, signed the MoU on behalf of TM R&D while AQU was represented by its President, Prof. Dr. Imad Abu Kishek. The agreement was sealed under the support and presence of H. E. Mr. Walid Abu Ali, Ambassador of The State of Palestine to Malaysia, Brunei, Thailand and Maldives.
Under the MoU, both entities will join forces to explore research and knowledge exchange activities including staff exchange for scientific works and student visits, in addition to development of impactful digital solutions with a global outlook.
Commenting on the latest collaboration, Dr. Sharlene said, “We are excited to have AQU on board as the first university that we’re collaborating with post COVID-19. This MoU is testament of our efforts to work with innovative and entrepreneurial academic institutions to deliver excellence in the field of research and innovation.”
“The knowledge sharing and technology transfer between Malaysia and Palestine will definitely boost research capabilities and cross-cultural innovations,” she added.
Meanwhile, Prof. Dr. Imad Abu Kishek shared, “The university’s strategy encompasses building strong cooperative relationships with the Malaysian industry and academia. We believe that this is the first step towards a sustainable partnership with TM R&D, which will provide our staff and students the opportunity to access expert knowledge, latest technologies, innovation labs, and industry in Malaysia.”
“We hope that this collaboration will result in a symbiotic relationship that furthers the economy, innovation, and technology transfer among both institutions,” added Prof. Dr. Imad.
AQU is an academic research university that currently offers more than 120 undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, delivered through its 15 degree-granting faculties that cover main scientific disciplines such as medicine, life and natural sciences, business and management, arts and humanities, law and jurisprudence, engineering, computer science, information technology, and social sciences.
In addition, AQU pursues educational distinction through a culture of innovation and strives to develop entrepreneurs who are able to partake in the development of the Palestinian economy.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE

New exclusive through unifi TV: Lionsgate play treats Malaysian viewers with premium content
Starting July until 12th October 2022, all new and existing unifi TV Packs subscribers (Ultimate Pack, Varnam Plus Pack, Aneka Plus Pack and Ruby Plus Pack) can enjoy 90-day access to Lionsgate Play for free when they activate it through https://activate.unifi.com.my/lgp/. Introduced to Malaysian audiences in October last year, the international streaming platform offers unique blockbuster movies, premium originals, old favourites and binge-worthy TV shows that resonate with urban audiences between the ages of 25 to 45. From action, drama, and romance to thrillers and comedy, Lionsgate Play Malaysia in partnership with unifi TV offers several exclusive premium titles for the whole family. Anand Vijayan, TM’s Chief Commercial Officer and EVP, unifi said, “The inclusion of Lionsgate Play with unifi TV Packs provides comprehensive streaming entertainment for multi-generational audiences both at home and on the go. “With Malaysian households often made up of extended, multi-lingual families, this offering caters to the preferences of all members of a family – bringing something for everyone all within a single subscription.” “We are pleased to be the exclusive partner of Lionsgate Play in Malaysia and to bring more international content to our shores. Available via mobile app, web browser and unifi Plus Box, our subscribers can stream world-class content anytime, anywhere and on any smart device,” he added. Amit Dhanuka, EVP, Lionsgate said, “We are glad to further strengthen our relationship with unifi by amping up exclusive global entertainment on the Lionsgate Play platform in Malaysia. The upcoming titles stands testament to the bespoke content that we aim to provide Malaysian viewers. The current releases and our vast premium library encapsulate an array of genres including drama, action, thriller and more, that cater to local audience preferences.” Lionsgate Play releases new titles every Friday and provides highly curated playlists for audiences to choose from so they can ‘Play More and Browse Less’. This addresses one of the biggest challenges for busy working adults who often wonder what to watch next and may often spend more time browsing for content than actually enjoying it. unifi subscribers will now be able to enjoy these brand new exclusive titles, available only on Lionsgate Play:TV Series:Gaslit – A political thriller based on the Watergate Scandal involving US President Richard Nixon from 1972 to 1974, Gaslit tells the story from five months before the infamous break-in at the DNC headquarters. Nominated for four Emmy Awards in 2022, the series stars Hollywood’s leading names – Julia Roberts, Sean Penn, and Dan Stevens.The “Power” franchise – James "Ghost" St. Patrick is a wealthy New York nightclub owner who has it all, catering to the city's elite while also living a double life as a drug kingpin. Created by Courtney A. Kemp and executive producer Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, this popular crime series has run for six seasons with three additional chapters – perfect for a crime-thriller binge fix.Becoming Elizabeth – the untold story of England’s most iconic Queen, long before she ascended the throne. Henry VIII’s death throws a young orphaned Elizabeth Tudor into the unpredictable and dangerous English court. As her 9-year-old brother is crowned king, Elizabeth can either become a pawn or player.Gomorrah – based on Robert Saviano’s best-selling novel of the same name, and directed by Marco D’Amore and Italian film director Claudio Cupellini, this acclaimed show explores organised crimes in Italy, putting audiences at the edge of their seat. The show stars Marco D'Amore, Salvatore Esposito, Arturo Muselli, Ivana Lotito, and Andrea Di Maria.Movies:Corrective Measures – a sci-fi movie set in the world's most dangerous maximum-security penitentiary, tensions among inmates and staff heighten, leading to anarchy. The gripping story stars Bruce Willis and Michael Rooker, and is written, produced and directed by Sean O'Reilly based on the graphic novel by Grant Chastain. Vendetta – when his daughter is brutally murdered, William Duncan takes the law into his own hands. After killing the street thug directly responsible for her death, he finds himself in a war with the thug's brother and his gang, who are equally hell-bent on getting revenge for their fallen member. Another Bruce Willis film, the movie also stars Thomas Jane and Theo Rossi.Jungle Cry – a riveting sports drama based on the real-life story of Indian rugby coach Rudraksh Jena of Bhubaneswar's Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS), who guided a team of 12 rural Odisha boys to a historic victory in the Junior Rugby World Cup in England in 2007. Starring Abhay Deol and Emily Shah, the film is helmed by Sagar Ballary. “With curated content from around the world, Lionsgate Play offers great value entertainment to Malaysian audiences, providing a variety of choices that the whole family can enjoy. Coupled with other unifi TV Packs, we are bringing streaming services to the next level – creating a new entertainment experience for customers of all ages,” concluded Anand.

Yayasan TM provides B40 students greater access to online learning with free sim cards
2,000 unifi Mobile #BEBAS SIM cards worth RM500,000 distributed to eligible students from B40 families through schools, institutions and in support of the Government’s initiatives. Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM) via its foundation, Yayasan TM (YTM) recently provided free internet access to school students from B40 families nationwide to facilitate their home-based teaching and learning (PDPR) during this Movement Control Order (MCO) period. The unifi Mobile #BEBAS 15GB LTE SIM cards which come with 1-year FREE internet access worth RM250 were distributed to a total of 2,000 students, bringing the total contribution value to RM500,000. These eligible students were selected by their respective schools with priorities given to B40 students who will sit for main examinations in 2021. Commenting on the initiative, Abdul Hamid Hashim, Director of YTM said, "Every student has the right to gain equal access to education. We hope our humble effort will fulfil the students' need for internet connectivity during these challenging times so they can fully participate in the online learning process. This is even more crucial as these students will sit for important examinations this year." "YTM will continue to support TM Group's role as the trusted partner in nation building, with the focus on education and human capital development towards producing the digital workforce to enable Digital Malaysia," he added. Under the initiative, 1,200 unifi Mobile #BEBAS 15GB LTE SIM cards worth RM300,000 were distributed nationwide through Yayasan Raja Muda Selangor (300 SIM cards), District Education Offices (PPD) (300 SIM cards) and 11 schools (600 SIM cards). The 11 schools are: SMK Abi, Perlis SMK Sri Muda, Pulau Pinang SMKA Sultan Azlan Shah, Perak SMK Jalan Reko, Selangor SMK Bandar Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur SMK Cedung Jaya, Pahang SMK Alor Akar, Pahang SMK Datuk Bendahara, Melaka SMK Tun Perak, Johor SMK Tengku Mizan Zainal Abidin, Terengganu SMK Matang Jaya, Sarawak In addition, YTM also contributed another 800 SIM cards worth RM200,000 to low-income groups through TM's Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programmes in support of the Government initiatives such as Tabung CERDIK and #MYBAIKHATI. Tabung CERDIK is an initiative among the Government-Linked Companies (GLC) and the Government-Linked Investment Companies (GLIC) to help B40 students with PDPR during the pandemic. Meanwhile, #MYBAIKHATI is an initiative under the People and Economic Strategic Empowerment Programme (PEMERKASA) with a similar objective, that reaches out to students from underprivileged families through PINTAR Foundation and Pusat Internet Komuniti (PIK). Yayasan TM Future Leaders Scholarship for SPM school-leavers 2021 YTM is also calling for students who have just received their SPM 2020 results to apply for Yayasan TM Future Leaders Scholarship 2021. Successful applicants will have a chance to further their studies in TM's education arm, Multimedia University (MMU). The deadline for application is on 20 June 2021; so hurry, visit http://bit.ly/yayasantmscholarship to apply or scan the below QR code: Recipients of YTM scholarships will not only receive financial aid throughout their studies but will also be attending self-development programmes while they are still in university to prepare them in entering the career world. YTM also focuses on developing talents, especially in critical thinking for leaders and future-proof workforce readiness among students after graduation. Since its establishment in 1994, YTM has awarded education sponsorship to more than 15,000 qualified students of high academic calibre from low-income families and multi-ethnic background to pursue their studies at government schools and universities in Malaysia and abroad by offering grants, bursary, allowances or financial supports with a total sponsorship value of over RM568 million. This continues to be pursued by YTM, which focuses on nurturing the right talent that will ultimately contribute to the growth of the Company, industry and nation. YTM hope that this effort will encourage the students to focus on their study and bridge the digital gap. Besides education, YTM also embarks on sustainable efforts to preserve our local heritage and culture. For more information on YTM, visit www.tm.com.my.

Solid first half 2021 for TM: revenue up +8.2%, EBIT up +29.9%, dividend declared
First half 2021 Key Highlights (vs first half 2020) Group Revenue grew 8.2% to RM5.57 billion from RM5.15 billion Cost optimisation continues to yield results. Group Reported Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) increased by 29.9% to RM977.3 million, from RM752.4 million last year Group Reported Profit After Tax and Non-controlling Interests (PATAMI) rose 27.3% to RM544.0 million, compared to RM427.2 million last year Record breaking unifi customer growth; fixed broadband customer base grew 15% to 2.55 million Declares interim dividend of 7.0 sen per share totalling RM264.2 million in line with dividend policy Continues to focus on value creation and ESG for sustainable growth Telekom Malaysia Berhad's (TM) revenue for the first half of 2021 (1H2021) grew strongly by 8.2% to RM5.57 billion, compared to RM5.15 billion in the same period last year. In a statement today, the company said this achievement was driven by growth across all its customer segments – unifi, TM ONE and TM WHOLESALE. On the back of this higher revenue and better cost efficiency, Group EBIT rose by 29.9% to RM977.3 million, from RM752.4 million last year. Subsequently, Group PATAMI grew 27.3% to RM544.0 million, from RM427.2 million in the same period last year. The Company continues to invest in future growth by modernising its network and technology platforms, to deliver the best current and future solutions for its multi-segment customers. CAPEX spending in the first half of the year stood at RM597.0 million or 10.7% of revenue. Of the amount invested, 65% was for network access, 16% for core network, and the balance 19% for support systems. Fibre broadband of choice – highest ever new unifi customers recorded in 2Q2021 unifi recorded several operational milestones with more than 210,000 new customer activations in the second quarter of 2021 (2Q2021). This is the highest number of unifi activations in a quarter in its 11-year history. unifi achieved an important milestone of 2.0 million customers in May 2021. By the end of June, the overall fixed broadband customer base had gone up to 2.55 million, representing a solid 15% growth over the past 12 months since June 2020. This growth was enabled by the higher number of ports added in 2Q2021 and wider fibre network coverage, exceeding the targets committed in the JENDELA plan, achieving 138% of its commitment in 1H2021. unifi also increased its sales and installation capacity to meet strong fibre broadband demand. unifi also saw positive uptake of device bundles with the enhanced unifiYourWorld campaign offering smart lifestyle devices, unlocking the unlimited possibilities to enrich users' digital lifestyle and needs. unifi brought live streaming of the recent Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 on 13 HD channels for free via unifi PlayTV app and unifi Plus Box, to enable Malaysians to support our athletes competing at the games. Customer touchpoints and support remains in operation with stricter SOPs As more Malaysians are working from home, conducting business online, participating in online learning and keeping the family entertained while staying safely at home, TM observed that internet usage went up by 45% since the start of MCO in March 2020. All customer support services remain in operation with stricter SOPs to continuously serve customers. Customer care lines remain open and attended to over 3.6 million customer interactions in 1H2021. TMpoint outlets and key partner stores remain open for service applications and essential transactions while adhering to strict SOPs. TM is also expanding and renovating selected TMpoint outlets with localised flavour, self-serve kiosks and implementing many other improvements to enhance its customers' experience. New service installation and restoration activities remain available for customers with SOPs in place to ensure the safety of both, customers and TM personnel. Notably, TM activated unifi Rovers nationwide to help customers sign up easily. Due to the higher volume of interactions during this pandemic period, customers are encouraged to use self-serve digital channels such as the unifi portal and myunifi app which are available 24/7 for service registration, service diagnostics, account-related enquiries and payment. A more simplified and personalised digital bill was also introduced for bill payment convenience of customers. TM ONE is committed to accelerating MyDIGITAL aspirations with cutting-edge digital infrastructure and solutions TM ONE continues to be the digital enabler and trusted partner for enterprise and public sector customers by providing dependable connectivity and delivering new customer projects in 1H2021. As customers pursue to accelerate their digitalisation adoption, this has translated into new contracts and renewals. Following its appointment as the sole Malaysian Cloud Service Provider (CSP) under the MyDIGITAL blueprint, TM ONE sees growing demand for its Cloud services from enterprises and government agencies. In addition, TM ONE also served international demand to fulfil hyperscaled requirements as the local data centre provider. With its complete suite of cybersecurity solutions under TM ONE CYDEC, TM ONE has formed alliances with strong global and local cybersecurity players to further enhance its ability to detect and eliminate cyber threats for enterprise and public sector customers. This will help pave the way for digital trust and cyber resiliency to help nurture a safer and more robust national cyber ecosystem. TM WHOLESALE strengthens domestically, further builds partnership ecosystem globally Domestically, TM WHOLESALE continues its growth momentum as the preferred infrastructure partner for High Speed Broadband (HSBB) access services. It also achieved further expansion of infrastructure coverage and capacity for Next Generation Backhaul services for several mobile network operators. TM WHOLESALE also secured bandwidth capacity upgrades for major Domestic Wholesale Data solutions and services. Internationally, TM WHOLESALE strengthened its partnership ecosystem with more global telcos and hyperscalers for International Data services. TM WHOLESALE also secured more deals with global telcos and hyperscalers for International Ethernet services. It also expanded its digital media delivery network ecosystem with growth from domestic and international digital content players. Focused on value creation and ESG for sustainable growth TM continues to focus on Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) principles of sustainable and ethical business practices in serving the nation: Governance: TM is committed to uncompromising integrity. All its suppliers have signed the TM Integrity Pledge and more than 90% of Warga TM have progressively completed the Uncompromising Integrity e-learning module. TM also ensures that its corruption mitigation practices are independently certified - having completed the Anti-Bribery Management System (ABMS) certification and the Organisational Anti-Corruption Plan (OACP). Social: TM aims to deliver social impact by ensuring the wellbeing of its Warga TM and the nation. TM is committed to bridging connectivity through the JENDELA plan. TM remains fully supportive of the Government's recovery plan - "Pelan Pemulihan Negara" - via its connectivity, digital infrastructure and solutions as well as various social contributions. Environment: TM continuously strives to reduce its annual carbon emissions from electricity usage through the retirement of old networks, implementation of an Energy Management System and improvement of energy-saving practices. TM is continuously improving these sustainability efforts while at the same time upholding its commitment to its stakeholders. Imri Mokhtar, Managing Director and Group Chief Executive Officer of TM commenting on the results: "I am pleased to report that we have recorded a solid performance in the first half of the year and we are on track to meet our 2021 targets in line with market guidance. Coming off an exceptional first quarter, we recorded notable improvements in our 1H 2021 revenue and profitability against the same period last year. "This was driven by higher revenue achieved by all of our customer segments – unifi, TM ONE & TM WHOLESALE and better cost efficiency. The current nationwide movement control order (MCO) has certainly influenced our business landscape and customer operations, but we are delighted with the momentum of our value programmes and the commitment of our frontliners. "Our revenue in 1H2021 recorded an increase of 8.2% at RM5.57 billion against RM5.15 billion in the same period last year, driven by revenue growth from all customer segments. Our EBIT has increased by 29.9% from RM752.4 million to RM977.3 million. Malaysia's economic growth outlook for 2021 continues to be challenging with the prolonged movement restrictions brought about by Covid-19. Notwithstanding the headwinds, our role remains. We will continue to serve the nation by meeting the demand for internet and data, both at the retail and wholesale fronts. This is evident through the acceleration of the number of ports deployed and the fibre network expansion under our Jalinan Digital Negara (JENDELA) commitment, which is well ahead of schedule. We remain steadfast and will leverage our comprehensive connectivity, digital infrastructure and other smart solutions to support the nation's digital aspirations under the MyDIGITAL blueprint.