Financial assistance for underserved local MSMEs from Funding Societies utilising Yellow Pages digital advertising solutions to help with business expansion and sustainability during these challenging times.
Funding Societies Malaysia, the largest peer-to-peer (P2P) financing platform in the country and Southeast Asia recently collaborated with TM Info-Media Sdn Bhd (TMIM), a subsidiary of Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM) to offer business financing solutions for the underserved and unserved local micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). The mission kicks off into high gear with the prime utilisation of Yellow Pages' digital platform, a product of TMIM and also the leading digital business directory in Malaysia.
The collaboration will provide MSMEs with greater access to digital financing solutions. The solutions will facilitate business expansions as well as ensure sustainability of the MSMEs. It provides vital financing options to existing MSMEs and serves as a launch pad to aspiring entrepreneurs. The synergistic collaboration takes momentous steps towards Funding Societies' mission to improve the livelihoods of MSMEs and TM's role as the enabler of Digital Malaysia.
It also opens the door for as many as 70,000 MSMEs under the Yellow Pages listings to a variety of tailor-made financing products. With the aim of bringing game-changing revolutions to their customers, Yellow Pages Malaysia is no stranger to making innovative transformations in order to stay current in the digital age.
Wong Kah Meng, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Funding Societies Malaysia, commented on the partnership: "Digital financing is becoming more prevalent in Malaysia given its ability to promote financial inclusion, particularly benefiting the MSMEs that are either unserved or underserved by traditional financing avenues by providing easy access to financing solutions. As the largest P2P financing platform in the region, our partnership with TMIM will serve to accelerate our reach in providing the financing support that is much needed by our local MSME players. This is especially relevant given MSMEs are among the most impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic."
Meanwhile, Sean Koh Chin Soon, Chief Executive Officer, TMIM said: "Our Malaysia Yellow Pages platform which has evolved from print to digital, interactive website and mobile app, is the perfect avenue to bridge the MSMEs out there with the resources they require. We are excited to collaborate with Funding Societies Malaysia in empowering local businesses through financial solutions. This will enable them to further expand their potentials thus supporting the sustainability of the businesses, especially during this Covid-19 pandemic. This is also in line with the Government's efforts to boost the growth of Malaysian economy and to propel local businesses. This initiative is befitting of TM Group's unique role in nation building and as the enabler of Malaysia's Digital Nation aspirations."
P2P financing is a digital financing solution that has been gaining traction in recent years. Its modern approach and speedy process makes pain points of traditional financing a thing of the past. Such setbacks including collateral requirement, onerous documentation, slow turnaround time, and high minimum requirements, all posed as hurdles for smaller businesses to obtain quick financing assistance. Through this collaboration, eligible businesses on the Yellow Pages platform can apply for the financing from Funding Societies without even needing to visit a physical branch.
Eligible MSMEs stand to enjoy the following financing benefits from Funding Societies:
- Discount on processing fee
- Fast disbursement with quick approval within five (5) working days
- Flexible tenure of up to 18 months
- No collateral requirement
- Minimal documentation requirement
Besides the collaboration with Funding Societies, TM through its consumer and SME product brand, unifi has also been continuously assisting businesses to stay productive in this emerging digital economy. Via unifi Business Club (uBC) specifically for its SME customers, unifi enables access to complete business solutions which include digital marketing tools, productivity boosters and financial solutions. By allowing businesses to leverage on its strategic partnerships, unifi aims to expedite its customers' recovery and enhance sustainability.
Interested MSMEs can apply for financing from Funding Societies on Yellow Pages website starting 5 October 2020. For more information on the partnership between Funding Societies and TMIM, please visit https://biz.yp.my/solutions/yellowpagesfinancing/.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE

TM reports operational improvement for 3Q 2019 amidst challenging environment
Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM) today announced its financial results for the quarter ended 30 September 2019. Financial and Operational Highlights as at Year-to-Date (YTD) September 2019 vs YTD September 2018: Group Revenue of RM8.40 billion, 3.8% lower against YTD September 2018 – in line with guidance- mainly due to lower contribution from all lines of products except data and non-telecommunication related services. Group Reported Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) for YTD September 2019 increased to RM1.20 billion, from Loss Before Interest and Tax (LBIT) of RM187.3 million over the corresponding nine (9) months period last year, on the back of lower operating cost, from the Group's various cost optimisation initiatives. Group Reported Profit After Tax and Non-controlling Interests (PATAMI) showed significant improvement with a 718.9% growth YTD to RM683.8 million, from RM83.5 million in the corresponding period last year. Stripping off non-operational items, Normalised PATAMI stood at RM810.9 million, higher by 53.7% against the same period last year. The total capital expenditure (CAPEX) was within guidance at 8.8% of revenue or RM736.0 million. Out of the amount spent, 16% was made for Core Network, 58% for Access and the balance 26% was made for Support System. unifi updates: Increased YTD convergence penetration to 55% of TM Households compared to 48% in 30 September 2018. Total broadband customers as at 30 September 2019 was more than 2.15 million. #khabarbaik customer experience related initiatives in 3Q2019: Streamlined all Streamyx packages to a new unifi Lite plan at RM69/month for existing Streamyx customers. Introduced unifi Air to elevate the internet experience of existing Streamyx customers residing in TM's LTE coverage areas. Launched an all-in-one app; myunifi for an easy experience in managing unifi account. TM ONE updates: Signed a series of MoUs and cross-industry strategic digital collaborations with Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI), Ministry of Rural Development, Global Health, UMW Corporation Sdn. Bhd. (UMW), Open University Malaysia (OUM), Bintang Urusjuta (M) Sdn Bhd and Digital Perak Corporation Holdings (DigitalPerak). TM ONE further demonstrated its capability to enable digital businesses and government with ten (10) smart solutions and end-to-end Hyperconnected Ecosystem. Held its annual flagship event LEAP Summit 2019 themed "Creative Disruption – Get Ready for It!" to share the successes and lessons from global creative disruptors and provide in-depth insights on industry trends towards Industrial Revolution 4.0 (IR 4.0). TM GLOBAL updates: TM as the National Telecommunication Infrastructure Provider continues to serve as the industry backbone - serving and collaborating with all other licensed operators in Malaysia as the strategic enabler of the Government's National Fiberisation and Connectivity Plan (NFCP) towards reaching more underserved areas nationwide and supporting 5G requirements with its ready and upgraded network infrastructure. Dato' Noor Kamarul Anuar Nuruddin, Group Chief Executive Officer, TM, commenting on the results: "Overall, in 3Q 2019 we saw continued improvements in our fundamentals. I'm pleased to report that our cost management initiatives under our performance improvement plan carried out since last year continues to yield results with profitability improvement. We have managed to keep a closer eye on our operational efficiencies to deliver sustained profitability with lower YTD OPEX/revenue. However, in line with sector contraction, our revenue challenges still persist on the retail front, in line with our expectations and 2019 market guidance. Our CAPEX for YTD September 2019 is well within guidance, totalling 8.8% of revenue, and on track as we continue our targeted investments to ensure we deliver better service experience for all our customers. We continue to offer attractive unifi products and promotions to acquire more customers, whilst addressing Streamyx customers and coverage pain points with price adjustments and our wireless offerings. Over the last three months, we have expressed our intention to be the key driver for Malaysia's Digital Nation aspirations. TM is ready to propel the nation into Industrial Revolution 4.0 (IR4.0) with our proposal to be the nation's infrastructure provider in both the fixed and mobile space. This commitment is reinforced with our participation in the 5G demonstration projects and our preliminary moves toward building infrastructure readiness. In the next few months, we will be showcasing our 5G use cases in SS15, Subang Jaya, Selangor and Langkawi, Kedah in collaboration with local municipal councils and other potential partners. The use cases will cover Big Data Analytics, Smart City, Smart Tourism and Smart Agriculture clusters. The deployment of our tested and proven 5G-enabled smart solutions for the showcase are testament of our commitment in humanising technology towards making life easier, and enriching the quality of life for all Malaysians." Prospects for the Financial Year Ending 31 December 2019 The Group's performance improvement initiatives and efficient cost management continue to improve our profitability. Our focus remains toward our customers, and to strengthen the Group's performance by investing to improve customer experience across segments to grow our revenue.

TM IS SUPPORTIVE OF INITIATIVES THAT ENHANCE THE BENEFITS OF 5G; HAS VAST FIBRE COVERAGE TO SUPPORT ITS IMPLEMENTATION
TM acknowledges the decision made by the Government on the 5G dual network. We remain supportive of initiatives that enhance the benefits of 5G technology for the rakyat, businesses, and the nation as a whole. We trust this will drive Malaysia's digital transformation, advancing connectivity, innovation, and economic growth across sectors. As Malaysia’s leading fibre infrastructure provider, TM has extensive nationwide fibre coverage, robust digital platforms, and proven rollout experience. We leverage our core competencies to support the industry’s technological advancement, including the 5G ecosystem. TM is committed to providing high-quality converged digital offerings across various segments of its customers. We remain focused on delivering 5G services and solutions to our consumers and business segments. Our priority is to ensure that all customers continue to have seamless access to reliable 5G services and ecosystem. With a goal to be a Digital Powerhouse by 2030, TM is committed to playing a key role in building a digital nation, continuously supporting the 5G ecosystem, and driving digital innovation for all Malaysians.

TM One and MPSJ embarks on 5G demonstration project in Subang Jaya
Local communities set to experience ultimate 5G experience with smart solutions; in line with the aspiration to become a Vibrant City by 2030 TM One, the enterprise and public sector business solutions arm of Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM) and Majlis Perbandaran Subang Jaya (MPSJ) today inked a Memorandum of Collaboration (MoC) for the deployment of three (3) 5G-enabled use cases, namely the Smart Traffic Light, Smart Parking and Smart Safety & Security solutions at SS15, in Subang Jaya as part of the 5G Demonstration Project (5GDP) undertaken by the Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission (MCMC). The MoC was signed by Ahmad Taufek Omar, Executive Vice President / Chief Executive Officer, TM One while MPSJ was represented by TPr. Hjh Noraini Roslan, Yang DiPertua, MPSJ. YAB Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari, Menteri Besar of Selangor together with Tuan Haji Rosli Man, Chairman, TM and Gerard Lim, Chief Digital Officer of MCMC witnessed the signing. Also present at the event were YB Michelle Ng, ADUN for Subang Jaya as well as representatives from the State Executive Council. Commenting on the collaboration, Tuan Haji Rosli said; "We are proud and excited to join forces with MPSJ in supporting MCMC's 5G Demonstration Project to deploy 5G infrastructure and services to Malaysians. The use cases that we are rolling out in all of our 5GDP locations are particularly selected to address the specific challenges faced by the community and stakeholders at the respective locations. For Subang Jaya, we have, together with MPSJ, identified prior to the project that parking, congestion and safety issues are among the community's top concerns. Today, TM and MPSJ are together in demonstrating how smart cities can be powered by 5G and Subang Jaya is indeed a perfect location to demonstrate these capabilities. We hope that throughout the 5GDP period, we will be able to show how 5G-enabled solutions can solve the challenges and create an Ultimate Smart City Experience for Subang Jaya, making it a smart city pioneer in Malaysia. This is in support of the Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission's (MCMC) efforts in progressing humanity towards improving the quality of lives of the Rakyat." "We hope as 5G becomes a reality, the communities will experience better streaming and connectivity and this will certainly bring a multitude of benefits to Subang Jaya city. Streets, buildings, public and personal devices need to be interconnected in order to manage the resources and operations in Subang Jaya. This can only be cost-effective and efficient if they are automated and connected and this is in line with MPSJ efforts to make Subang Jaya a safe, green, smart, prosperous, healthy and women-friendly municipality. MPSJ plans to install more than 100 high-tech CCTV cameras in the SS15 commercial area to monitor parking and traffic flow and under the proposed pilot project, the CCTVs would be equipped with enhanced technology and algorithms that could gauge the behaviour of motorists and alert MPSJ or the police if any urgent action is required," said TPr. Hjh Noraini. Noraini added that it is MPSJ's hope that this initiative and collaboration will realise MPSJ's aspiration to become a Smart City by 2030 and at the same time, support the Selangor state government vision towards making Selangor as the pioneer smart city by 2025. Through this partnership, TM One and MPSJ agree to jointly collaborate in the deployment of the 5G network with the rollout of the three (3) use cases, where the transmission of TM's 5G service and the use cases have been fully operational since November 2019. Both parties have also agreed to undertake joint marketing and promotion activities of the use cases in SS15, Subang Jaya for a duration of six (6) months. Ahmad Taufek added, "5G is the next-generation network that will serve as the enabling technology for the Internet of Things (IoT), leading to many transformative smart solutions such as the Smart City Solutions and beyond. TM, via our innovative and comprehensive products and solutions will continue to lay the foundation for Industrial Revolution 4.0 (IR4.0) and enabling IoT – to serve a more digital society and lifestyle, digital businesses and industry verticals, as well as digital Government. TM ONE as the enterprise and public sector business solutions arm of TM is committed to support the Group's role as the national telecommunications infrastructure provider of Malaysia's Digital Nation aspirations - that has established the communications backbone of Malaysia with the widest connectivity and convergence network." TM ONE's 5G-enabled Smart Traffic Light solution programmes traffic lights to respond to real-time, rich data collected by connected high-definition (HD) cameras and sensors, to enable improved traffic flow and reduces idle time at red lights. The Smart Parking solution enables real time parking bay monitoring using HD camera and Artificial Intelligence (AI), so users are able to search for vacant parking bay and navigate via path finder to reduce the time spent searching for the spot. Meanwhile, MPSJ enforcers can monitor parking occupancy and illegal parking incidents from the command centre and deploy resources more efficiently, thereby reducing traffic congestion at outdoor parking areas. The Smart Safety and Security solution provides advanced surveillance and real-time monitoring through video streaming from sensors and HD camera. Powered by AI capabilities, and integrated with TM's emergency response team, immediate action can be deployed in case of emergencies, as well as predictive analysis on actual incident situation for proactive response. Apart from the three use cases deployed in partnership with MPSJ, TM deploys three (3) other use cases through its research and development arm, TM R&D Sdn Bhd (TM R&D). Two (2) use cases - Smart Retail Analytics and Smart Water System are deployed at private commercial premises in SS15, Subang Jaya while Smart Vehicle will be implemented at TM Fleet in the area. Earlier last week, the Company announced that it has begun transmission of 5G service in Pulau Langkawi, where it is deploying the first 5G Stand Alone (SA) network, and will be demonstrating more 5G use cases there.