30 May 2024
TM Announces a Positive Start in 1Q 2024, Sustaining its Continuous Growth Trajectory
Q 2024 Key Highlights (vs 1Q 2023)
- Operating revenue grew 1.8% to RM2.84 billion
- EBIT increased 37.5% from RM473.3 million to RM650.9 million
- PATAMI increased 28.7% from RM330.1 million to RM424.8 million
KUALA LUMPUR, 30 May 2024 – Telekom Malaysia Berhad (“TM” or “the Group”), today announced a positive start to the fiscal year, with a strong financial performance for the first quarter ended 31 March 2024 (1Q 2024).
The Group saw its revenue increase by 1.8% to RM2.84 billion, driven by solid performance from TM Global and growth in Unifi’s subscriber base. Correspondingly, Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) grew 37.5% to RM650.9 million in the quarter under review on the back of lower total Operational Cost.
TM’s Profit after Tax and Non-Controlling Interests (PATAMI) increased by 28.7% to RM424.8 million, demonstrating its sustained profitability.
Meanwhile, the Group’s Capital Expenditure (CAPEX) stood at RM204.0 million, or 7.2% of its revenue. These investments were aimed at expanding the Group’s network infrastructure nationwide and regional submarine cable systems.
Amar Huzaimi Md Deris, TM’s Group Chief Executive Officer said, “Entering 2024, the operating environment remains challenging due to increased competition and evolving market dynamics. Nevertheless, the Group has shown a positive growth trajectory in the first quarter of 2024. This is evidenced by increased revenue, improved profitability, and steady growth in our fixed broadband subscribers, reaffirming our strong position in the market.
“To sustain our positive momentum, we will continue enhancing our retail convergence offerings and value-added solutions in delivering improved customer experience. At the same time, we maintain a strong focus on modernising our data and network infrastructure, as well as enhancing our business-related offerings to meet current and future digital needs.
“Moving forward, as part of our transformative journey towards becoming a Digital Powerhouse by 2030, our priorities over the next few years include growing our core businesses, enhancing beyond connectivity by embedding Artificial Intelligence (AI) and capturing new business growth to meet future demands. In addition, we will continue to optimise costs and enhance profitability to ensure better returns for our shareholders,” Amar concluded.
The Group maintains a positive outlook for the current year, staying aligned with the previously provided 2024 guidance.
Lines of Businesses (LOBs) Performance
Unifi maintains leadership in converged services
Unifi maintained consistent year-on-year (YoY) growth with a 1.8% increase in fixed broadband subscribers, reaching a total of 3.135 million. This is driven by convergence marketing strategies, aggressive sales and customer retention programmes. It recently launched UniVerse, the best convergence plan to date for broadband, mobile, entertainment, and digital lifestyle solutions, designed to enhance connectivity, content and Home Hub needs of today’s customers. For more information about Unifi UniVerse, visit www.unifi.com.my.
During the quarter, Unifi Business, the leading digital solutions partner of over 400,000 Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) nationwide, partnered with Maybank Islamic Berhad to launch ‘Go Niaga’, a mobile banking bundle to help businesses manage finances and improve income with digital payment options. It also launched e-Pharmacy Solution, a mobile app enabling e-prescriptions via teleconsultation to provide digital inclusion and accessible healthcare for prescribed medications and wellness especially to the underserved communities.
Looking ahead, Unifi will continue to solidify its role as a leader in convergence to deliver unmatched converged digital services.
TM One drives innovative solutions for enterprise and Government
TM One, the enterprise and government sector business solutions arm of TM continues to adapt to market dynamics while seeking new opportunities for growth. During the quarter under review, it recorded a revenue of RM673.0 million.
In February, TM One launched the Innovation Lab and Enterprise 5G Lab to accelerate the realisation of emerging digital services and solutions. These labs bring together the latest technologies, digital leaders, inspiring ideas and collaborative spaces to create tailored solutions for its customers and partners. These facilities were set to further develop key areas like Enterprise 5G and innovative AI-powered industry solutions to help organisations thrive in the digital era.
Moving forward, TM One will continue to strengthen its core connectivity offerings while driving innovation in digital services, expanding partnerships, and developing solutions that empower its customers.
TM Global positions Malaysia as a digital hub for the region
TM Global saw a 12.1% YoY increase in revenue to RM742.8 million in 1Q 2024, fuelled by demand for domestic and international data. It has remained as Malaysia’s preferred network infrastructure provider, catalysing the digital industry, fostering 5G ecosystem and expanding High-speed broadband (HSBB) Access in the country. Globally, it provisioned significant managed wavelength capacity for hyperscalers, connecting key regional data centres. It also recorded substantial growth in Content Delivery Network (CDN) traffic to cater to the demand from digital players, enabling Malaysia as a digital hub for the region.
TM Global recently received recognition in two categories: Telecom Company of the Year – Malaysia, and the Wholesale Company Initiative of the Year – Malaysia, at the Asian Telecom Awards held in Singapore. This is the second consecutive year TM Global has received these accolades, maintaining its leadership as a shaper of the telecommunications landscape in Malaysia and across ASEAN.
TM Global will continue to broaden its digital infrastructure solutions while forging strategic alliances with global carriers to facilitate seamless digital connectivity and services across borders.
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TM Inks MOU With ZTE For R&D Innovation Under Latest Strategic Partnership Programme
TM, Malaysia’s leading converged telco and technology company, has today entered into a MoU with ZTE Malaysia Corporation Sdn Bhd (ZTE), a global leader in information and communication technology solutions, to collaborate on a range of research and development innovations under its latest strategic partnership programme. The partnership will leverage TM and ZTE’s joint expertise to drive innovation and digital transformation for customers and industries, focusing on R&D opportunities and commercialisation, product and technology improvement, and the enhancement of TM’s digital talent ecosystem. The collaboration will also serve as an important step towards strengthening the nation’s digital and telco infrastructure, and empower Malaysia’s competitive edge in delivering cutting-edge solutions to the marketplace. Slated to run for a period of three years, the MoU was presided over by YB Fahmi Fadzil, Minister for Communications and Digital; YB Teo Nie Ching, Deputy Minister for Communications and Digital; Tan Sri Mohamad Salim Bin Fateh Din, Chairman; and Dato’ Mohd Ali Hanafiah Mohd Yunus, Chief Operating Officer for the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission respectively. The MOU was signed by TM’s Group Chief Executive Officer, Dato’ Imri Mokhtar and ZTE’s Managing Director, Mr. Steven Ge. Building on TM and ZTE’s ongoing investments and commitment to R&D and innovation, the partnership aims to deliver new products and services, with TM serving as ZTE’s preferred business partner to deploy innovative solutions, go-to-market strategies, commercialisation, and networking across various markets and customer segments in Malaysia and regionally. The companies will also work on network and technology planning and overall digital transformation by bringing together Software as a Service (SaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Anything as a Service (XaaS) providers to develop customised end-to-end solutions for various industry sectors. Aside from technological developments and aligning with TM’s transformation as a human-centred TechCo, the collaboration will focus on enhancing TM's digital talent ecosystem, covering areas such as talent competency best practices, professional competency framework, technical training and certifications for digital transformation, as well as cross-border knowledge sharing on new technologies. Dato’ Imri Mokhtar, TM’s Group Chief Executive Officer, said: “We are pleased to partner with ZTE once more in providing new innovations that will serve today’s digital customers and industries. Spearheading these efforts will be TM’s R&D arm who will provide hardware testing and design enhancement, consultation on digital platform technologies, as well as integration solutions to ensure our offerings are market-ready. This MOU comes on the heels of another recent joint research in next generation access technology to enhance Malaysia’s high speed internet connectivity. Introducing the first ever 50Gbps bandwidth in Malaysia has prepared us to drive other innovative services such as 5G, Cloud VR, and intelligent manufacturing which will benefit communities, businesses and the Government.” Mr Steven Ge, ZTE’s Managing Director, concluded: “As a global leading provider of information and telco technology solutions, we’re looking forward to collaborating with Malaysia’s leading telco player. We’re confident that our collaboration will bring forth new innovations and solutions to address the growing needs of today’s digital markets. ZTE is also committed to supporting TM's digital transformation and talent ecosystem growth through our global expertise and resources. We believe that this partnership will create a win-win situation for both parties and set a new industry standard for strategic collaborations."
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
TM reinforces commitment for employee welfare & safety; signs new Collective Agreement with NUTE for 2022-2024
Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM) signed its twelfth (12th) Collective Agreement (CA) last week, on 24 August 2022, with the National Union of Telecommunications Employees (NUTE) for the period of 2022-2024. Consecutively, the CA was also signed between NUTE and TM's subsidiaries, namely Telekom Sales & Services Sdn Bhd, TM Info-Media Sdn Bhd, GITN Sdn Bhd and TM R&D Sdn Bhd. About 8,000 non-executive employees in Peninsular Malaysia and Labuan were covered by this CA. It includes employment enhancements for various terms and conditions, including salary adjustment and cost of living allowances among others. It is also aimed to enhance and boost employees’ productivity and work performance. Representing TM Group for the CA signing was Imri Mokhtar, Group Chief Executive Officer and Sarinah Abu Bakar, Chief Human Capital Officer while NUTE was represented by its President, Mohd Jafar Abd Majid, and Mohamad Farid Mohamad Daud, General Secretary of NUTE. The signing ceremony was also witnessed by Tan Sri Mohammed Azlan Hashim, Chairman of TM. “The new CA demonstrates TM’s unwavering commitment and strong industrial partnership with NUTE towards the well-being of our employees. Our people – Warga TM, is the impetus behind our achievements, they are the engine driving TM’s performance. It is hoped that the harmonious relationship between both parties will fuel the continuous growth of TM, inculcating a high-performance working culture and realise TM’s aspiration to become a Human-Centred Tech Company,” said Imri Mokhtar, TM’s Group Chief Executive Officer.
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