25 May 2022
TM records steady performance in 1Q2022 with revenue & PATAMI up 2.9% & 4.4%; maintains focus on its growth strategies execution
In the second year of its Transformation, the Group is on track to achieve its 2022 market guidance, focusing on strengthening its core businesses and investing in new growth areas
Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM) continued its growth trajectory and long-term business sustainability, recording a steady performance in its First Quarter ended 31 March 2022 as compared to the same period last year (YoY).
The Group's operating revenue increased by 2.9% to RM2.89 billion, compared to RM2.81 billion in the same quarter last year, driven primarily by increased demand for voice, Internet and multimedia. Despite rising competition to offer converged solutions among telco and other technology players, TM continued to deliver strong customer growth across its operations.
Capitalising on its core businesses and investing into new growth areas, TM further ramped up its transformation initiatives, delivering profit after tax and non-controlling interests (PATAMI) for the quarter at RM339.9 million or 4.4% higher than the RM325.5 million recorded in 1Q2021. The Group also recorded lower financial costs subsequent to the early redemption of its RM2.0 billion sukuk in March 2021, as well as lower foreign exchange translation losses on borrowings. The Group has applied the Cukai Makmur statutory tax rate accordingly for the current quarter.
Accelerating into the second year of its Transformation, TM brought forward its manpower optimisation to enable earlier realisation of expected benefits to the Group. This, along with foreign exchange impact on trade settlement has led to a 5.0% decrease in EBIT at RM560.4 million for 1Q2022 compared to RM589.7 million in the same quarter last year. Excluding these costs, the Group's underlying EBIT is 14.0% higher at RM650.2 million compared to RM570.5 million in 1Q 2021. Free Cash Flow is lower by 15.1% at RM658.8 million compared to RM775.7 million due to higher CAPEX as the Group continues to invest in business expansion and meeting customers' demands through technology refresh and network delivery, ensuring steady growth.
unifi: Double-digit revenue and subscriber growth
unifi continued its growth performance, recording revenue increase of 10.6% from RM1.25 billion to RM1.38 billion in the current quarter. Sustained by increasing demand from Internet, voice and sales of devices, with cumulative fixed Internet subscribers increasing by 17.5% against the corresponding quarter last year. unifi remains the largest growth contributor for the Group.
unifi will continue to maintain its leadership in fixed broadband and enhance its Fixed-Mobile Convergence (FMC), enriched with TV and streaming content. This reflects its commitment to improve its FMC customer experience with better and seamless service. unifi will also grow its SME digital platform as a one-stop service centre for solutions catering especially to SMEs nationwide.
TM Wholesale (TMW): Higher revenue from increased demand for data services
TM Wholesale (TMW) also recorded a growth performance for 1Q2022, with revenue increasing by 1.2% from RM631.9 million in 1Q2021 to RM639.5 million, mainly contributed by higher revenue from voice and data services. This was underpinned by increasing demand from High-speed Broadband Access (HSBA) and higher International Voice and Data.
To date, TMW continues to enable industry broadband and 4G network via its fibre infrastructure, with the ongoing 5G rollout further strengthening that role. On the international front, it will continue to serve other OTTs and hyperscalers with connectivity and data centres, while regionally, TM Wholesale aspires to establish Malaysia as a digital hub for ASEAN via new submarine cables, enhanced data centre solutions and edge computing.
TM One: Renewed focus on growing B2B digital solutions market
TM One, the Group's enterprise and public sector arm, recorded a 7.4% decrease in revenue from RM925.2 million to RM856.8 million in 1Q2022 due to decline in data services revenue.
Strengthening and growing its B2B digital solutions, TM One has focused its efforts on high potential industry verticals, namely healthcare, manufacturing, education, oil & gas, banking, financial services & insurance (BFSI) and public sector. It has entered a partnership with Tune Protect and Huawei Malaysia that saw Tune Protect becoming the first organisation in Malaysia to host an insurance core system on public cloud (Cloud αEdge).
Commentary and Outlook from Imri Mokhtar, TM Group Chief Executive Officer
"With our economy and borders reopening, TM is powering Malaysia's journey on its road towards recovery, by ensuring the vision of an inclusive and extensive Digital Malaysia becomes a reality.
"Into the second year of our Transformation, we are focused on strengthening our core business while investing into new growth areas to meet customers' demands. In ensuring sustainability in the long run, we continue to grow our profitability to invest and seize opportunities arising from digital acceleration.
"One of these opportunities is in the exciting space of digital solutions and services for enterprises. Building on TM One's existing capability and relationships with enterprises and the public sector, we will deliver speed and agility through our new digital arm Credence: a corporate start-up led by technology leaders.
"unifi continues to better its fixed broadband and Fixed-Mobile Convergence value proposition to improve customer experience, while expanding our offerings to provide quality entertainment to customers at home or on-the-go.
"We have also achieved some key milestones in our sustainability efforts. TM One has successfully secured the Green Electricity Tariff from Tenaga Nasional Berhad for its data centres in Kuala Lumpur, Cyberjaya and Johor Bahru, contributing to a lower carbon footprint as the demand for cloud storage inevitably increases. This is in addition to the existing Green Building Index (GBI) certification earlier obtained for its core data centres. TM's broader ESG commitment also remains consistent with Malaysia's initiatives towards achieving net-zero Greenhouse Gas emission for the country by 2050.
"Meanwhile, TM Wholesale continues to establish Malaysia as a regional digital hub via new submarine cables, edge computing, data centres and supporting international connectivity. On the domestic front, TM Wholesale continues performing its role as the enabler for industry broadband, 4G and 5G network via fibre infrastructure that will transform the nation's connectivity capabilities."
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TM ONE NAMED FROST & SULLIVAN MALAYSIAN CYBERSECURTY SERVICES COMPANY OF THE YEAR
TM One, the enterprise and government sector solutions arm of Telekom Malaysia Berhad (“TM”), was named the Frost & Sullivan Malaysian Cybersecurity Services Company of the Year for 2022. The award was decided based on a series of detailed evaluations following Frost & Sullivan’s best practices criteria, in which TM One excelled as a service partner in addressing Malaysia’s enterprise and government sector cybersecurity needs. “TM One is recognised based on its extensive cybersecurity capabilities and resources. With a full suite of cybersecurity services and infrastructure, coupled with a deep understanding of the Malaysian market landscape, TM One continuously upholds a strong reputation of effectively addressing its customers’ security needs,” said Anh Tien Vu, Industry Principal, Global Cybersecurity Research Team at Frost & Sullivan. Shazurawati Abd Karim, Executive Vice President, TM One, said: “We are honoured to receive the Frost & Sullivan Malaysian Cybersecurity Services Company of the Year Award. With cybersecurity emerging as a top priority for organisations in their transformation journey, we are committed to growing our end-to-end solutions so that we can provide our customers digital freedom and peace of mind as they expand their businesses in the digital space. Understanding their unique business needs, we work with organisations to assess their cybersecurity capabilities and provide advisory services through our dedicated TM One Cyber Defense Centre (CYDEC) – helping them make the right choices to respond to cyber threats more effectively.” Addressing Cybersecurity Gaps among Enterprises and Public Sector More Malaysian organisations are now investing heavily in cybersecurity. As they become increasingly present and vulnerable in the digital space, organisations need to adopt a stronger security posture in their information technology, operational technology, and cloud infrastructure capabilities. Shazurawati said, “One of the key challenges for organisations is the shortage of in-house security expertise, professionals, and tools, requiring them to outsource their security operations. By working closely with customers to assess their security posture, technology maturity, and business needs, TM One offers customised solutions for managed security services, consultation and advisory, and other value-added services to help them navigate today’s complex technological landscape.” TM One is also strengthening the public sector’s cybersecurity, working alongside the Malaysian Government to enhance digital connectivity and smart innovations for cities and industries to propel the nation towards becoming a digital economy. In addition to connectivity, TM One continues to invest in local data centres, digital infrastructure and services, ensuring data sovereignty remains within Malaysian borders while bringing global best practices to the nation’s public sector. Its investments to strengthen Malaysia’s Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII) is one of its efforts to protect government and public data, with its cybersecurity solutions developed in compliance with Bank Negara Malaysia’s Risk Management in Technology (RMiT) policy and the Personal Data Protection Act 2010 (PDPA). Anh Tien Vu said, “One consideration that stood out for Frost and Sullivan was that TM One has earned endorsements and collaborations from local cyber authorities, such as Cybersecurity Malaysia and the National Cyber Security Agency (NACSA) of Malaysia through its implementation of best practices, and world-class infrastructure backed by experts. Frost & Sullivan commends TM One’s steadfast efforts in providing cybersecurity services that exemplify this implementation of best practices, which have benefited customers and communities tremendously.” “On top of developing our own end-to-end solutions, TM One continues to strengthen its partnership ecosystem, collaborating with companies from various security domains to diversify its offerings and coverage. This includes FNS Value Co. Limited, the sole distributor of its Blockchain Secure Authentication solution in Malaysia, which helps secure digital transactions and online credentials, and Telefónica Tech – a global leader in cybersecurity, Cloud and IoT, as a partner in delivering Digital Risk Protection,” explained Shazurawati. “Our efforts to expand our cybersecurity services and to provide customers with cutting-edge security reflect our commitment to tackling today’s growing cybersecurity concerns. With next-gen technologies such as 5G opening up both new opportunities and threats, TM One is poised as the enabler for organisations’ next advantage and security, today and tomorrow,” she concluded.
Op Selamat to ensure a safer Raya celebration for all
TM remains committed to work closely with enforcement agencies in ensuring the welfare and well-being of the community Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM) and Polis DiRaja Malaysia (PDRM) today launched Op Selamat 18/2022 to promote a safer and joyous celebration this upcoming Hari Raya for all Malaysians nationwide. Entering into its 18th edition, this year's campaign is aptly themed "Rumah Selamat, Selamat Sampai ke Destinasi" (Safe Home, Safe Journey), with the aim of increasing public awareness on road safety and home security during festivities. Op Selamat will be running for 10 days, from 29 April until 8 May 2022. This marks the 23rd collaboration between TM and PDRM on this campaign, the last being in 2019 before the pandemic hit. This is part of the long-standing strategic partnership that TM has established with PDRM, including the MERS999 emergency hotline, the anti-telecommunications cable theft efforts, and the Secured Mobile Services platform used for enforcement operations. The campaign was launched at Menara TM by Datuk Razarudin Husain, the Deputy Inspector General of Police. He also flagged off the 'Traffic Monitoring Team' and a convoy of motorcyclists and cars, symbolically highlighting the campaign's message of road and home safety. Also present at the event were CP Datuk Wira Mat Kasim Karim, Director of Traffic Investigation and Enforcement Department (JSPT); CP Datuk Aidi Ismail, Director of Crime Prevention and Community Safety Department (JPJKK); Tan Sri Mohammed Azlan Hashim, Chairman of TM; Imri Mokhtar, Group Chief Executive Officer of TM; senior management of TM Group, police officers of various ranks as well as officers from various government agencies such as Jabatan Bomba dan Penyelamat Malaysia, Angkatan Pertahanan Awam Malaysia, Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia (KKM), Jabatan Pengangkutan Jalan Malaysia (JPJ) and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO). In his opening speech, Tan Sri Mohammed Azlan said, "TM is committed and always ready to work hand-in-hand with PDRM and other law enforcement agencies in ensuring the security and well-being of the community. This year, once again we continue our long-standing collaboration with PDRM on this noble effort. This campaign reflects our unwavering support towards the Government's initiatives to reduce road mishaps and improve home safety during festive seasons. "The safety of road users and their homes are of utmost importance during festivities. This is the key message we want to spread to the public, and we urge everyone to stay alert on the road and vigilant at home," he added. For this year's campaign, TM is contributing various necessities for the 15 Op Selamat operation centres nationwide, including campaign advocacy and materials such as leaflets and stickers that will be distributed to road users.
TM ANNOUNCES SOVEREIGN GPU-AS-ASERVICE TO EMPOWER MALAYSIA’S AI ASPIRATIONS
KUALA LUMPUR, 13 December 2024 – TM, Malaysia’s telecommunication leader, has further strengthened its core capabilities by ramping up its digital infrastructure to enable GPU-as-a-Service (GPUaaS). Hosted entirely within the country, this initiative aims to bolster Malaysia's AI infrastructure and accelerate digital transformation. The solution was unveiled following the launch of the National Artificial Intelligence Office (NAIO) by YAB Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Prime Minister of Malaysia. The first of its kind in Malaysia, this innovative solution leverages NVIDIA GPU technology hosted at TM’s Uptime Tier-III certified data centres. TM’s GPUaaS provides low-latency, real-time, high-performance AI computing capabilities while ensuring data sovereignty and security, reinforcing Malaysia’s aspirations to become a leader in AI innovation within ASEAN. TM’s GPUaaS eliminates the need for capital-intensive investments, providing scalable and on-demand access to cutting-edge resources. Backed by TM’s nationwide fibre optic network and edge computing facilities, it seamlessly integrates GPU resources with high-speed connectivity to power AI-driven applications such as: • AI for Public Services: Real-time AI Avatars providing information for citizens. • Healthcare Diagnostics: AI-powered imaging and analytics. • Autonomous Vehicles: Real-time traffic and navigation systems. • Immersive Media: AR/VR content creation with real-time rendering. Amar Huzaimi Md Deris, TM’s Group Chief Executive Officer, stated, “TM’s GPUaaS will further enhance our digital infrastructure and support the nation’s AI aspiration. By offering cost-efficient access to high-performance computing for AI model training and inferencing, we enable businesses and the Government sector to adopt AI-driven solutions with greater ease, ensuring both operational efficiency and scalability. “Our GPUaaS design is modular and scalable, catering to various user needs. Leveraging this agility, we are pleased to announce that TM has secured an international customer for GPUaaS requirement to be delivered by year-end. This initiative underscores TM’s commitment to empower industries and unlock new opportunities through AI infrastructure, as we align our Digital Powerhouse 2030 aspiration to fast forward the future of a Digital Malaysia.” TM’s data centres hosting GPUaaS are LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified green buildings, designed to ensure sustainability and energy efficiency. This aligns with Malaysia’s commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, supporting innovation while reducing environmental impact. In addition to hosting TM’s GPUaaS, these data centres are also available to host other GPU providers. The sovereign GPUaaS reinforces Malaysia’s readiness to become a digital-first economy; transforming critical sectors such as healthcare and transportation, driving economic development and enhancing public service delivery.
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