22 Sep 2025
TM JOINS CANDLE SUBMARINE CABLE SYSTEM CONSORTIUM TO CONNECT MALAYSIA AND ASEAN COUNTRIES TO JAPAN
KUALA LUMPUR, September 22, 2025 – TM, Meta, SoftBank Corp.,
Candle is a 24-fiber pair, 8,000 km submarine cable system connecting Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore, that is scheduled to begin operations in 2028. It will contribute to infrastructure expansion and secure redundant routes to meet the increasing demand for data communications driven by 5G and AI.
This cable system will be one of the first in the Asia-Pacific region to use a 24-fiber pair cable, enabling superior traffic capacity to support the growing demand for communications in the region.
Chairperson of the Candle Management Committee, Don Pang, said: “Candle represents a pivotal advancement in fortifying the region’s digital infrastructure. As the need for robust, high-speed connectivity grows, Candle will deliver greater network diversity and resilience along this essential corridor, leveraging state-of-the-art technology. This milestone reflects the deep collaboration among our partners and underscores our shared commitment to advancing digital inclusion and economic opportunity for over half a billion people in the Asia-Pacific region.”
The partners from participating countries also provided their comments on the importance of this new system.
Amar Huzaimi Md Deris, TM’s Group Chief Executive Officer said, “TM’s participation in the Candle submarine cable system project demonstrates our commitment to building resilient digital infrastructure that meets the growing demand for digital services and cloud-based, AI-driven innovation across Asia. It strengthens our ability to support hyperscalers, enterprises and global service providers in expanding their footprint across ASEAN, while reinforcing Malaysia’s role as ASEAN’s digital hub. This initiative bodes well with our aspiration to become a Digital Powerhouse by 2030—connecting Malaysia to the world, and the world to Malaysia.”
“At Meta, we imagine a future where everyone has access to AI, personal superintelligence, and other emerging technologies to improve their lives and connect with each other. This is part of our commitment to seamlessly bring people together no matter where they are in the world.,” said Nico Roerich, Director, APAC Network Investments, Meta.
“With the rapid advancement of generative AI and the Internet of Things (IoT), the demand for international telecommunications is expected to continue accelerating. CANDLE adopts a 24-fiber-pair architecture, making it one of the core foundations of next-generation social infrastructure that SoftBank is promoting. By integrating with other submarine cables such as JUPITER, ADC, and E2A, we will further enhance the diversity and redundancy of global communications networks originating from Japan, and strengthen Japan’s role as a digital gateway for Asia,” said Kimimasa Kudo, Vice President and Head of Global Business Division, Enterprise Unit, SoftBank Corp.
"
Tomonori Uematsu, General Manager, Submarine Network Division, NEC Corporation, added, “NEC is a leading vendor in the submarine cable system business with over 60 years of experience. NEC is particularly strong in leading subsea projects in the Asia-Pacific region, having been responsible for eight optical submarine cable systems connecting Japan and Singapore, including ‘Candle.’ In this project, NEC will participate as a system integrator, providing everything from the manufacture of submarine cables and repeaters to route design, installation, and testing. Through the establishment of a highly reliable communication environment in the Asia region, NEC will contribute to the development of the digital economy.”
This initiative is a milestone in collective partnerships and commitment to strengthening regional connectivity, ensuring secure and reliable international data transmission, and advancing the digital growth of communities and businesses across ASEAN.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE
Unifi Mobile Honours Chinatown’s Heritage Through Immersive 5G Experiences
Kuala Lumpur, 9 December 2024 – Unifi Mobile and Unifi Business participated in the recent KL Chinatown Festival 2024 as the Official Telco Partner. KL’s Chinatown district came alive with fun filled activities to celebrate the local art scene, showcase its unique culture and support entrepreneurs. Located in the Petaling Street area, Chinatown offers a rich heritage with a unique mix of traditional Chinese and Malaysian architecture, and lively market stalls, attracting locals and tourists alike. As an official partner, Unifi played up this cultural and economic tapestry, engaging visitors and businesses during the festival. Jasmine Lee, Unifi’s Chief Commercial Officer, Consumer, said, "Petaling Street is a melting pot of diversity, culture and entrepreneurship. Our participation in the recent KL Chinatown Festival underscores our commitment to celebrating this historic landmark by supporting its art scene and local businesses through digitalisation.” “Our augmented reality (AR) mural painting added an innovative digital layer to Chinatown’s vibrant street art, blending creativity with 5G technology. We also empowered local entrepreneurs, offering complimentary workshops, as well as business consultations to help them in their digital transformation. These efforts align with our Digital Powerhouse aspirations to make technology more accessible, enabling a Digital Malaysia,” Jasmine added. Bringing street art to life Contributing to Chinatown’s rich and vibrant art scene, Unifi Mobile collaborated with a local artist to create a mural that symbolises the bold and vibrant spirit of young Malaysians. Powered by UNI5G, Unifi Mobile brought the mural to life through AR, offering visitors a unique way to engage with and experience street art via their smart devices. Championing the next generation of creative talents, Unifi Mobile also served as the partner and prize sponsor for the AR Fest KL 2024 that took place during the same weekend. Recognised by Opensignal* in 2023 as a global winner in 5G download speeds, Unifi Mobile offers seamless connectivity and a variety of value-driven plans that enable these innovative ideas. UNI5G Postpaid 39 subscribers now receive an additional 200GB of 5G data for only RM1 per month, complementing existing 30GB of 5G & 4G data and unlimited calls. For those seeking the latest devices, Unifi Mobile Postpaid includes 5G phones and unlimited 5G data starting from RM49 per month. Additionally, Unifi Broadband customers who switch to Unifi Mobile will receive six months’ complimentary UNI5G Postpaid 69, which includes unlimited 5G + 4G data, unlimited calls, and 60GB hotspot. Empowering local businesses Unifi Business, the digital solutions partner to Malaysia’s micro, small and medium enterprises, played a part at the festival, offering complimentary workshops on Digital Marketing Solutions and business consultations to local businesses in Chinatown. This provided local entrepreneurs deeper insights into how to expand their brand presence among today’s digital customers and grow their businesses through Unifi Business’ solutions that are tailored to their needs. For more information on Unifi, visit @unifi on Instagram, @unifi.mobile on TikTok, or @weareunifi on Facebook. *Opensignal Awards – 5G Global Mobile Network Experience Report, Group 1, October 2023, based on independent analysis of mobile measurements recorded during the period 1 January – 29 June 2023 © 2024 Opensignal Limited.
TM successfully concludes its 36th Annual General Meeting; ‘new TM’ transformation journey on track
Amidst challenging environment, the Company remained resilient and paved its way forward with ‘New TM’ transformation to set the Company on a sustainable growth trajectory Telekom Malaysia Berhad Group of Companies (TM Group) today concluded its 36th Annual General Meeting (36th AGM) with all 12 Ordinary Resolutions tabled duly approved by its shareholders. The Meeting, conducted via online for the 2nd consecutive year in view of the Movement Control Order (MCO), saw virtual participation by more than 1,000 shareholders. Commenting on the proceedings, Tan Sri Dato' Seri Mohd Bakke Salleh, Chairman of TM said: "We are very pleased that TM once again was able to conduct its AGM virtually and engage with our shareholders without being physically present at the meeting venue. This reflects our commitment towards ensuring the safety and health of our shareholders as well as stakeholders by complying with the guidelines set by the Securities Commission Malaysia (SC), National Security Council (NSC) and Ministry of Health (MoH)." Also participating in the online AGM was Imri Mokhtar, Managing Director / Group Chief Executive Officer, TM as well as other members of the TM Board. Razidan Ghazalli, Group Chief Financial Officer, TM was also present. "Amidst the market and pandemic challenges, we remained resilient and recorded an improvement in our 2020 performance, as our cost optimisation initiatives continue to drive profitability. Building on current momentum, we have embarked on the next phase of our exciting journey with the 'New TM' Transformation Programme. Guided by our compass of Purpose, Customers, Performance and People, we will focus on Connectivity Excellence, Solutions Excellence and Customer Experience Excellence to set us apart from the competition," added Tan Sri Dato' Seri Bakke. The 'New TM' transformation is anchored on 40+ Value Programmes, driven by a dedicated Transformation Office; with a new cadence towards a higher execution tempo, which is already showing early traction. TM is also reshaping its workforce into a stronger execution engine, embracing a more agile work culture with future-ready skills. This will set TM on a sustainable growth trajectory, to create shareholder value and continuously enable a more Digital Malaysia. TM, in its role of enabling Digital Malaysia, is ready to support the Government's digitalisation agenda, particularly the Jalinan Digital Negara (JENDELA) and the comprehensive Malaysia Digital Economy Blueprint – MyDIGITAL as well as other Government's digital and stimulus plans, towards accelerating the socio-economic recovery and fast-track the nation into a technologically-advanced economy by 2030. TM is well positioned to play a significant role in MyDIGITAL – focusing on digital connectivity (fibre, 5G, international connectivity), digital infrastructure (Cloud, Data Centre and Cybersecurity) as well as digital skillsets and talents (via Multimedia University and TM Digital Academy). The Company was also appointed as the sole Malaysian Cloud Service Provider (CSP) under MyDIGITAL, at par with the other global players. TM believes that such public and private collaboration will propel the country towards a full-fledged Digital Malaysia by 2030 – a more digital society, digital business, digital industry and digital Government. Despite the MCO, TM was able to publish a fully Integrated Annual and Sustainability Report (IAR) for this year. The theme of this year's IAR is "Reach Further", a reflection of the ripple effect brought about by the report cover. The idea is to inspire Malaysians to go further in pursuing their dreams through Digital Malaysia, as reflected through the visuals in the separators of a Digital Society, Digital Businesses and Digital Government presented in the book. This theme and narrative are carried consistently from our report cover, separators and throughout the strategic narrative of the report. To read and download TM's IAR 2020, visit https://tm.com.my/investor-relations/financial-information/annual-reports.
TM One Appointed Digital Infrastructure Strategic Partner For Sarawak Digital Economy Corporation
KUCHING, 27 October 2023 – TM One has been appointed as the preferred converged digital infrastructure strategic partner for the Sarawak Digital Economy Corporation (SDEC). Through this partnership, SDEC and TM One will collaborate to identify and implement digital solutions that will enable the aspirations tabled in the Sarawak Digital Economy Strategy and Post Covid Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030, spurring the growth of Sarawak’s digital economy, digital society and digital government. This joint initiative aims to increase access and adoption of digital services in Sarawak, bridging the digital divide and empowering greater digital inclusivity among all Sarawakians. Leveraging its managed networking services, TM One will power the Sarawak Multimedia Authority Rural Telecommunication (SMART) project for rural and underserved communities. Shazurawati Abd Karim, TM One’s Executive Vice President said, “TM One is honoured to work with SDEC and serve as its strategic partner to empower Sarawak’s digital aspirations. As the largest and most geographically diverse region in Malaysia, the opportunities and challenges to digitally transform its various populations are truly unique. We are confident in serving the needs of the region not only through our solutions, but also with our proven local and international technology leaders to deliver cutting-edge solutions to various sectors. “We look forward to partnering SDEC in co-creating innovations and growth opportunities that will power digital societies, businesses and Government, and propel Sarawak towards its next phase of digital progress and economic development,” she shared. “SDEC is proud to announce this strategic partnership with TM One as we continue our effort and pursuit in digitalising Sarawak. This collaboration enables the parties to leverage on each other’s skillset and work in tandem to unlock new and potential opportunities for the benefit of our people, particularly the state’s infrastructure, and subsequently increase access to digital services and information as well as enhance online experiences and improve livelihoods for Sarawak’s citizens in the digital economy,” said Ir. Ts. Sudarnoto Osman, Chief Executive Officer of SDEC. With Sarawak’s digital economy expected to contribute RM56.4 billion to Sarawak’s GDP by 2030, TM One and SDEC also aim to raise awareness and enable the digital transformation of private corporations and enterprises through emerging IR 4.0 technologies. This includes insights and access to TM One’s suite of next generation networking solutions, data centre and cloud services, smart services, 5G, cybersecurity and other digital solutions, which will enable better operational efficiency and innovation among industries. TM One is committed to grow Sarawak’s digital business ecosystem and will render its expertise and services to support SDEC’s role in six digital growth areas, namely: consultancy, innovation and entrepreneurship, digital infrastructure, technology services, digital economy projects, and research and product development. TM One will further drive digital innovation tailored to the needs of Sarawakians by providing connectivity to nine digital innovation hubs across Sarawak.
NEWSLETTER
Just drop your details and stay updated with the world of Telekom Malaysia. We promise – no spam!