25 Nov 2021
As nation shows encouraging signs of recovery, TM posts strong results for first nine months of 2021 revenue up 6.8%, net profit increases 7.7%
Group Operating Revenue in Jan - Sept 2021 (YTD Sept) grew 6.8% to RM8.38 billion compared to the same period last year
Continued focus in supporting the nation's sustainability and recovery has resulted in Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM) posting a strong financial result in the first nine months of 2021. Fuelled by high demand for digital connectivity and solutions, TM continues its positive trajectory for the year with a solid performance in the third quarter (3Q2021).
YTD Sept 2021 Financial Highlights (vs YTD Sept 2020)
- Solid revenue growth, with a 6.8% increase to RM8.38 billion, from RM7.84 billion in the same period last year. This achievement is driven by revenue increase from all lines of products, particularly Internet services which saw a 6.8% increase on the back of steady growth in fixed broadband customer base.
- Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) grew by 17.1% to RM1,414.8 million, from RM1,208.6 million as a result of revenue growth and continuous cost optimisation initiatives.
- PATAMI increased by 7.7% to RM815.3 million compared to RM756.7 million, following sound operating profits.
Imri Mokhtar, Group Chief Executive Officer of TM commented:
"Throughout 2021, we've focused our efforts to deliver digital connectivity and solutions in supporting the sustainability and recovery of our country. As a result, we are able to deliver another solid quarter of revenue and net profit growth.
Our next focus will be on delivering enhanced customer experience and strengthening our digital offerings across all customer segments in unifi, TM ONE and TM WHOLESALE.
With movement control restrictions in Malaysia continue to be eased and the economy gains momentum, we remain committed to serve the nation. We will continue to play our leading role in Malaysia's digitalisation drive outlined by the Jalinan Digital Negara (JENDELA) action plan, 2022 Budget and the 12th Malaysian Plan, including MyDIGITAL blueprint.
As we continue our shift towards becoming a human-centred technology company, we will develop innovative solutions and drive digital adoption across our broad customer base of home, SME, corporate and Government customers – anchored on enhanced customer experience.
Supporting this evolution, will be our new way of working at TM – focusing on increased productivity through digitalisation and process automation, upskilling of our existing workforce and welcoming new digital talents."
Driving digital adoption and a new way of working in the post-pandemic era
TM recorded the highest increase in unifi subscribers for three consecutive quarters. In the quarter under review, TM registered an additional 210,000 new unifi subscribers in both the consumer and micro, small and medium sized enterprise (MSMEs) segments.
This record-breaking growth is fuelled by high demand for connectivity and digitalisation tools which have become an important necessity. To deliver this demand, TM has been adding higher number of broadband ports and delivering a wider fibre network coverage. This expansion has exceeded TM's committed targets in JENDELA action plan. The fast network rollout together with strong frontline support, a steady marketing push and speedy installation had cemented customer's confidence and trust.
Beyond connectivity, unifi has steadily strengthened its entertainment proposition with the addition of 19 new content offerings comprising 7 content streaming services and 12 new channels.
Supporting the Government's push to digitalise MSMEs, unifi registered encouraging increase of productivity and digital tools utilisation amongst its 375,000 MSME customers, leveraging the Government's Digitalisation Grant.
Focusing on enhanced customer experience
Customer experience remains our key focus across all segments and we continue to introduce new experience features and improvements in this area.
For unifi customers, we continue to innovate and improve in the management of user experience. We now provide customers with a proactive early detection and intervention support for broadband connectivity and ensuring fast resolution of service. As a market leader, TM commits to a continued focus on customer experience, with progressive releases of more new experience leveraging on analytics.
TM WHOLESALE was recently awarded the Best Asia Pacific Zero Outage Supplier by T-Systems amidst intense competition from other established telcos in the region. This recognition signifies TM's commitment and focus to provide the best quality service to our telco and hyperscaler customers.
Enabling digital solutions in the Enterprise and Public sectors
TM ONE remains steadfast in its commitment to realise the nation's MyDIGITAL blueprint and support efforts to rebuild the economy in both the Enterprise and Public sectors.
New sales and contract renewal across the Enterprise and Public sectors are encouraging in the post pandemic recovery period with TM ONE providing digital connectivity and solutions for the Digital Community Centre in rural areas, regional cloud services and major financial institutions.
TM ONE maintains its role as a trusted business partner driving digital transformation for Enterprise and Public sectors especially in business process automation via partnerships with global digitalisation partners such as SAP.
Delivering network for the Industry
TM WHOLESALE continues its "telco for telcos" role by providing wholesale services and solutions to all Malaysian licensed service providers. In line with the overall growth of broadband, TM WHOLESALE recorded high demand for its wholesale broadband service. As the primary mobile backhaul provider for the industry, TM WHOLESALE registered an increase in bandwidth utilisation of its Next Generation Backhaul service by major mobile telcos. This also positions TM as a capable enabler for Malaysia's 5G network deployment.
Internationally, TM WHOLESALE continues to strengthen its partnership ecosystem with global telcos and hyperscalers, and has recorded significant growth of international bandwidth traffic. This is further complemented by the coverage increase of the global content delivery network (CDN) with more than 80 CDN nodes worldwide.
TM WHOLESALE has also established a collaboration with a Tier 1 Internet Protocol (IP) transit provider – Tata Communications – to offer high-speed and reliable connectivity in the ASEAN region and open access to global enterprises. At the same time, we have successfully on boarded more than 15 major international hyperscalers and digital service providers in TM's core data centres.
All of the above positions Malaysia positively as a digital and technology hub in ASEAN.
A socially responsible Corporate Citizen
TM played its part in supporting the fight against COVID-19 via various programmes. Overall, TM has contributed over RM9.5 million for humanitarian and community initiatives this year including to Tabung CERDIK and COVID-19 GLC/GLIC (GDRN) fund.
TM also provided digital connectivity services to more than 400 PPVs nationwide, in addition to converting three of its premises into PPVs at its Multimedia University (MMU) campuses in Cyberjaya and Melaka, plus Kompleks TM Taiping.
TM had also spent over RM16.0 million on several safety protocols and preventive measures across its customer operations to ensure the wellbeing of our frontliners and customers. These measures include providing personal protective equipment (PPE), weekly COVID-19 screening, UV air treatment and other workplace measures.
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TM reports strong 3Q2020 performance amidst challenging environment
Encouraging QoQ revenue growth across all product lines 3Q2020 QoQ Key Financial and Operational Highlights (All comparisons refer to the second quarter of 2020 (Quarter-on-Quarter (QoQ) comparison), except as noted): Group Revenue grew 3.8% to RM2.69 billion from RM2.59 billion recorded in 2Q2020. Group Reported Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) increased by 7.0% QoQ to RM456.2 million, from RM426.3 million in 2Q2020. Group Reported Profit After Tax and Non-controlling Interests (PATAMI) rose 19.9% QoQ to RM329.5 million compared to RM274.7 million. The total capital expenditure (capex) for 3Q2020 stood at 14.9% of revenue or RM400.0 million. unifi: Continues convergence leadership with growth in broadband and mobile; highest convergence penetration of TM households at 58%. TM ONE: Strengthened position as the digital enabler for enterprise and public sector customers with connectivity and end-to-end cloud offerings. TM Wholesale: Continues to connect industry players, carriers, over-the-top (OTT) providers and content players in Malaysia and globally. Addressing the digital divide: Remain committed to increasing connectivity reach via Jalinan Digital Negara (JENDELA) and accelerating the digital economy with recently announced Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) collaboration. Strong Business Performance for 3Q2020 Despite these unprecedented times, TM Group Revenue continues to increase QoQ recording a resilient 3.8% growth to RM2.69 billion from RM2.59 billion recorded in 2Q2020 on the back of higher revenue from voice, internet and data services. Group EBIT for 3Q2020 increased by 7.0% QoQ to RM456.2 million, from RM426.3 million in 2Q2020, on the back of lower operating cost, from the Group's continued momentum from its cost optimisation programmes. This subsequently led to a 19.9% increase in Group PATAMI from RM274.7 million in the preceding quarter to RM329.5 million. In 3Q2020, the company invested 14.9% of revenue in capex amounting to RM400.0 million - in line with guidance - as it continued to optimise its network and sweat its assets. Of the amount invested, 50% was for network access, 17% for core network, and the balance 33% for support system. Imri Mokhtar, Group Chief Executive Officer, TM, commenting on the results: "We are pleased to report another quarter of growth across all key financial metrics – revenue and profits – despite the challenging environment in Q3. Our efforts in cost optimisation continue to yield results with a healthy EBIT and a strong PATAMI. As we enter the ninth month of the Covid-19 pandemic, our priority continues to be the safety and health of our 'Warga TM' while continuously delivering connectivity and solutions excellence to our broad customer base." "We are seeing unifi gaining momentum, posting a 6.3% growth to 1.65 million subscribers, with our total broadband customer base now at 2.26 million. We achieved the highest convergence penetration (of three services or more) in TM households since 2018, of 58%, as more Malaysians embrace digital living-working in this new norm. On the wholesale front, we continue to collaborate with industry players in Malaysia and globally. At TM ONE, we further cemented our leadership position as the digital enabler for enterprise and public sector customers with enterprise-grade connectivity and end-to-end cloud offerings. We look forward to more collaborations with strategic partners and customers towards establishing a solid foundation for a more Digital Malaysia," Imri concluded. Operational Review: Maintaining Business Momentum TM delivered another quarter of robust performance, driven by its agility to mitigate the impact of the pandemic on Group businesses and operations; leveraging on new avenues for growth in the 'new normal' whilst adapting to challenges. unifi: Continues convergence leadership with growth in broadband and mobile Achieved the highest convergence penetration at 58% of TM households. unifi customer base grew 6.3% to 1.65 million; total broadband customer base grew 2% to 2.26 million during the quarter. Helped empower Small and Media Enterprises (SMEs) with relevant tools and knowledge to grow their businesses and embrace digitalisation with the launch of cari@unifi and eBiz Pack, unifi Business Club (uBC) collaboration with Lalamove and live webinars such as Reboot and Sembang Bisnes. Partnered with Funding Society Malaysia to provide business financing solutions for Micro SMEs (MSMEs) utilising Yellow Pages' digital platform. unifi Mobile extended access to the daily free 1GB Productivity Internet offer to 24 hours, until 31 December 2020, to support Malaysian's connectivity needs in Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO). TM ONE: Strengthened our position as digital enabler for enterprise and public sector customers with connectivity and end-to-end cloud offerings Scaled up the full capabilities of Cloud α (Cloud Alpha) suite of services with full data residency, locality and sovereignty. Appointed as the technology partner of the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) to develop and maintain the Population and Housing Census of Malaysia 2020 (e-Census) platform. Continue to support state governments and local city councils to establish future-ready smart cities and smart homes via its TM ONE Smart City Solution enabled by the Internet of Things (IoT) and various smart solutions. TM Wholesale: Continues to connect industry players, carriers, over-the-top (OTT) providers and content players in Malaysia and globally Domestic Secured a new contract with a domestic mobile player for cross ocean connectivity, backhaul connectivity solutions and broadband access capacity upgrade. New backhaul connectivity deal with a domestic mobile player for new backhaul services. International Expansion of content delivery services with an Asian-based OTT player. Secured a deal with an Asian-based OTT player for connectivity solution within Asia Pacific, and two (2) new long term data connectivity deals with global carriers. Additional voice business deals with global service providers worldwide. TM Network remained stable throughout CMCO as a result of continuous network optimisation. This is despite traffic utilisation surging between 30% to 50% depending on peak hours, from March 2020 to November 2020 due to more Malaysians working from home. Supporting the nation's digital agenda and addressing the digital divide: Remain committed to increasing connectivity reach via JENDELA and accelerating the digital economy with the recently announced MDEC collaboration. Prospects for the Current Financial Year Ending 31 December 2020 Following the Covid-19 pandemic, Bank Negara Malaysia has revised Malaysia's annual gross domestic product (GDP) forecast to contract between 3.5% to 5.5%[1], against 4.3% growth in 2019. Uncertainty from the most recent wave of the pandemic from October onwards is expected to bring about further revision to these numbers. As the nation faces this adversity, relying even more on the internet and digital connectivity for work and studies, TM continues to serve as an essential service provider, ensuring stable network performance for the entire nation via both our retail and wholesale fronts. The Government's introduction of JENDELA in September 2020 as well as the RM7.4 billion allocations in the recent National Budget to deliver upgraded broadband services for year 2021 and 2022 will serve as a platform to accelerate Malaysia's digital connectivity through wider deployment of mobile, fibre and fixed wireless access. This will pave the way for 5G under the 12th Malaysia Plan (2021–2025). TM is at the forefront in collaborating with other service providers, enabling and delivering JENDELA. We continue to seek opportunities to cater for future demands of connectivity, in line with our proven commitment to maintain business profitability whilst adapting to and exploring new norms and avenues from this dynamic circumstances that the nation faces today. [1] Sourced from Bank Negara Malaysia, 14 August 2020
HONOR Malaysia appoints TM One as Cloud service provider to serve customers across three continents
HONOR, a leading global provider of smart devices adopts TM One Cloud solutions – α Edge (pronounced as Alpha Edge), to serve its customers across three Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM), via its enterprise and public sector business solutions arm TM One, recently join forces with HONOR Technology (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, one of the leading global providers of smart devices, to provide Cloud services not only for HONOR Malaysia's customers but also across three (3) continents – namely, Asia, Africa and Latin America. This strategic alliance signals a major expansion of TM One α Edge regionally. The end-to-end comprehensive Cloud services were chosen by HONOR Malaysia to host the eCommerce platform and digital solutions, in its ongoing efforts to expand its presence in the premium market segment. Currently, HONOR has 3,000+ service centers, 2,000+ call center representatives and close to 8,000 employees globally to provide premium and efficient services to consumers in over 100 markets. The TM One α Edge is equipped to deliver the required flexibility to scale effectively for any unprecedented demands in traffic or business challenges. Shazurawati Abd Karim, Executive Vice President of TM One, commented: "Fuelled by the pandemic, the extraordinary surge in Cloud adoption by many businesses especially those connected to serving consumer markets, bodes well for future growth and recovery. This partnership marks another important growth milestone in strengthening Malaysia's position on the global front as a preferred digital destination and business hub. We are an ideal Cloud service provider for the nation and this is yet another testament to our leading role as the enabler of Digital Malaysia." Towards ensuring a stable and secured service, some of the key aspects of the α Edge portfolio for HONOR Malaysia includes a dedicated 24/7 technical team, with professional and managed services. In addition to TM One's robust global network and secured digital connectivity infrastructure, the service operates through TM One Tier-III Data Centres, to ensure benefits such as low latency coupled with reachability to customers. Meanwhile, Kee Ee Neng, Chief Financial Officer of HONOR Malaysia, commented, "It's a proud moment to be in the same alignment with TM One when it comes to digital solutions. We look forward to providing the leading technology and developing further opportunities with TM One on this exciting journey ahead." α Edge, a part of TM One Cloud α, has been designed to provide seamless migration of critical workloads to the Cloud, quickly, easily, cost-effectively, and without constraints. It comes ready to support HONOR Malaysia's IT platform and digital solutions with Artificial Intelligence (AI) capabilities, resource monitoring and identity access management, as well as advanced security tools and cybersecurity support. The strategic partnership between TM One with HONOR Malaysia leverages TM One's leading end-to-end cloud service solution designed for businesses. For further information on TM One's Cloud services, visit www.tmone.com.my/solutions/cloud-services and for more info on HONOR Malaysia, visit www.hihonor.com/global
STATEMENT FROM TM REGARDING NG MERS 999
KUALA LUMPUR, 20 November 2025 – Telekom Malaysia acknowledges that some Malaysians were unable to get through to 999 and experienced slower emergency response in the early phase of the NG MERS 999 migration. We understand the concerns this has created for individuals and families in moments of urgency, and rest assured we are treating every incident with the highest level of priority. Malaysia upgraded the 17-year-old MERS999 platform because it had reached its technical limits and could no longer support the country’s evolving emergency requirements. NG MERS 999 was introduced to enhance accessibility, strengthen multi-agency coordination, and align Malaysia with modern international emergency standards. Upon this migration, we saw a surge in call volume immediately. While the previous system averaged around 50,000 calls per day, the new NG MERS 999 received close to 70,000 calls per day. About 5% of the calls were genuine emergencies, with the rest being silent and prank calls. However, the number of actual emergency incidents remained unchanged, ranging at an average of 3,500 emergency reports despatched per day. This sudden spike affected system performance, and we have taken immediate measures to restore the service including increasing server capacity and optimising the servers’ configuration. Additional resources were also mobilised in the call centre to cope with the high-volume calls. We would like to emphasise that the 999-voice service remains and continues to operate as the primary channel for emergency assistance. SaveME999 mobile application serves as a complementary channel for reaching emergency services. Users can refer to published FAQ in https://999.gov.my website for installation and registration guide. TM is committed to ensure better services to the public and the nation. We have taken the proactive role to work with all five (5) emergency agencies (Kementerian Kesihatan, PDRM, BOMBA, Angkatan Pertahanan Awam, and APMM) to resolve the issues and ensure seamless end-to-end emergency services. We appeal to the members of the public to use the 999 service responsibly, as unnecessary or prank calls can prevent the reach of those who are truly in need of real emergencies. Reducing such misuse will greatly enhance the efficiency and responsiveness of the operations. TM remains fully committed to safeguarding Malaysia’s national emergency lifeline and we assure the public that it has always been our intent to deliver our best. Our teams are working around the clock to resolve these matters and to ensure that every Malaysian can get help quickly and reliably, whether through the 999 voice service or the digital channel.
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