“Program Usahawan Digital Bersama TM” is set to empower local entrepreneurs in Beseri and Padang Besar with digital tools
Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM), through TM Perlis and Kedah, today organised a special programme on digital awareness for local entrepreneurs in Beseri and Padang Besar at Dewan KEMAS, Alor Tampang, Beseri, Perlis.
Aptly titled "Program Usahawan Digital Bersama TM", the programme was officiated by YB Datuk Zahidi Zainul Abidin, Deputy Minister of Communications and Multimedia Malaysia. Also present were YB Rozieana Ahmad, Exco of Education, Human Resource Development, Science and Technology Innovation, Information Technology and Communications, Datuk Rozlan Mohamed, Regional Head Northern, TM, Anis Ahmad Mohd Ibrahim, State General Manager, TM Perlis and Kedah, as well as Azhar Abdul Rahman, State Office Director, Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).
Speaking at the event, YB Datuk Zahidi said: "The Government continues to organise programmes skewed towards the development of digital economy, which are very relevant in today's new normal. In shifting the entrepreneurs to digital journey, it needs to be supported with the right skills and knowledge in ensuring the entrepreneurs' sustainability. Thus, we laud TM's initiatives such as today's event to increase the digital awareness and further promote the adoption of digital tools amongst the local entrepreneurs, including in sub-urban area."
Meanwhile in his speech, Datuk Rozlan said that this programme reflects TM's commitment towards enabling the digital economy. "Digital is the way to go and "the name of the game" for businesses nowadays. So businesses, including local entrepreneurs need to keep abreast of and quickly adapt the digital technologies to stay ahead. Today's "Program Usahawan Digital Bersama TM" is among our initiatives to facilitate this and we are excited to play our role towards this end."
"We have various solutions for entrepreneurs to get on board the digital journey to grow their business further. So, we really hope they will grab this opportunity to get business tips and know-how for their benefits. In addition, we are rapidly upgrading our network infrastructure in Beseri and Padang Besar to Fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) to enable communities in the areas to enjoy unifi high speed broadband services. This fits well with the Jalinan Digital Negara (JENDELA) action plan which aspires to deliver connectivity for all," he added.
The overall network upgrading exercise for Perlis is expected to be fully completed by end of 2021.
At the event, TM Perlis and Kedah also handed over its zakat contribution of RM250 each to 15 selected asnaf residing in Beseri reflecting its caring side to the communities.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE

UNIFI TV OFFERS FREE VIEWING OF OLYMPIC GAMES PARIS 2024 ON 17 CHANNELS VIA UNIFI TV APP
KUALA LUMPUR, 16 JULY 2024 – Unifi TV, Malaysia’s largest platform for premier channels and streaming apps, has been named an official broadcaster for the highly anticipated Olympic Games Paris 2024. Making the Games accessible to all Malaysians wherever they are, Unifi TV will offer viewing access starting 24 July to 12 August 2024 through its Unifi TV app. With 17 HD channels dedicated to cover all 32 sports and 329 events, everyone including non-Unifi customers can download and register for the complimentary service via the Unifi TV app from various app stores across all smart devices. Existing and new subscribers will enjoy live broadcasts, exclusive interviews, and behind-the-scenes access to their favourite games and athletes with no new or additional charges. Further demonstrating support for the Malaysian contingent, Unifi TV has also launched the hashtag #SemangatTakTerbatas which will be extended across Unifi’s official social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok & YouTube. Anand Vijayan, TM’s Chief Business and Consumer Officer, said, "We are thrilled to be an official broadcaster of Olympic Games Paris 2024, bringing this extraordinary event to all Malaysians. This year we are offering 17 dedicated HD channels, delivering limitless access for all viewers at home and on the go. By providing more inclusive access, we also aim to foster a sense of national pride and support for our Malaysian athletes and create unforgettable moments that unite us all. This is among our efforts to make technology and content accessible to more Malaysians and build connected communities, aligning with TM’s Digital Powerhouse 2030 aspiration to enable a Digital Malaysia." For more information about Unifi TV's coverage of the Olympic Games Paris 2024, visit unifi.com.my/paris2024.

Orbix International School takes safety seriously by adopting TM R&D’s EWAR
TM R&D assists Orbix International School in adhering to the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) with deployment of EWAR towards curbing the spread of COVID-19 virus. Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM), through its innovation arm, TM Research & Development (TM R&D), further promotes the adoption of digital solutions in the education sector by deploying its Early Warning, Alert & Response or "EWAR" at Orbix International School (Orbix), a private school in Muar, Johor. EWAR is an Artificial Intelligence (A.I) driven contactless temperature screening solution internally-developed by TM R&D. In an effort to digitalise the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) outlined for schools, Orbix has installed EWAR Compact, one (1) of EWAR's product categories, within their premise to better facilitate the temperature screenings of their students, teachers and visitors towards curbing the spread of COVID-19 virus. Commenting on the initiative, Dr. Sharlene Thiagarajah, Chief Executive Officer, TM R&D said, "We are honoured to be working with an educational institution such as Orbix to deploy our cost-effective and innovative solution in response to the required safety protocols. This illustrates the flexibility and readiness of education vertical in adapting to the new normal. At TM R&D, we are ever ready to assist businesses and organisations to get back on their feet safely." "We truly believe that deploying the EWAR Compact at schools or any educational institutions can provide students and teachers with a near-normal return to school experience as possible. We hope that this effort can encourage other schools and educational institutions to install EWAR Compact and simplify the adoption of the new SOPs in our battle against COVID-19." EWAR Compact is an AI-driven, one-on-one contactless thermal screening solution with a high accuracy of +/- 0.3℃, fast (~1sec) detection and voice prompt. In addition, AI-based facial recognition capabilities can also be applied with the solution. With EWAR Compact, students and teachers can go to schools with peace of mind, knowing that their schools are using the most effective technology available to safeguard their health. "Besides that, we are delighted to see more schools adopting digital solutions as this will expose teachers and students on how technology can help improve lives through safety. The exposure to EWAR Compact will also help students to experience digitalisation in action first-hand, and witness the benefits of digital adoption even before they enter the workforce. We hope this will help groom an industry-forward talent pool which will subsequently drive the nation's digital aspiration, befitting TM Group's role of the enabler of Digital Malaysia," she added. "Deploying EWAR Compact was a vital step for us as we were looking for the most effective technology available in safeguarding the health of our students and teachers. So far, we have received positive feedback on how EWAR Compact has enhanced the efficiency of temperature taking while simultaneously improving social distancing," said Govindan Nair, Chief Marketing Officer of Orbix Education. "The students especially have shared that they like how interactive the solution is. As we are firmly committed to ensuring the health and safety of our students, it is also important for us to expose our students to how innovation results in real-world solutions," he added. Back in July, TM R&D has successfully installed EWAR Compact at 12 selected schools under the purview of Bangsar / Pudu District Education Office (PPDBP) namely Victoria Institution, Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Dato' Lokman, SMK Seri Saujana, SMK Desa Petaling, SMK Cochrane, SMK Taman Maluri, SMK Alam Damai, SMK Bukit Jalil, SMK Dato' Onn, SMK (P) Bandaraya, SMK Convent Jalan Peel and SMK Seri Permaisuri. During the early stages of the Movement Control Order (MCO), TM R&D has introduced two (2) main product categories under EWAR, namely EWAR Crowd and EWAR Compact as part of its contribution in the fight against COVID-19. The solution comes with four (4) main capabilities that close the critical loop from detection to containment. It is non-intrusive and has use-cases for both crowd and one-on-one scanning, respectively. EWAR Crowd comes with a dual-camera (thermal and optical) and is designed to conduct a rapid body temperature screening of approximately 10-15 individuals per second simultaneously at high traffic areas. It can easily be deployed in locations with mass traffic flow such as offices, shopping complexes, transportation hubs, universities, schools, tourist attractions, airports, immigration centres, and hospitals. EWAR Compact on the other hand is more suitable for a one-on-one contactless thermal screening. This can eliminate the need of the hand-held temperature taking, which can subsequently improve social distancing and minimise long queues. Both EWAR models have been installed at more than 150 sites across several industry verticals and have gone regional to help keep businesses safe beyond Malaysian shores. The solutions have been installed at the quarantine and treatment centre for COVID-19 cases at Malaysia Agro Exposition Park (MAEPS) in Serdang, large and mid-size office lobbies, hotels, Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) payment counters, various sales galleries and Gamuda Land construction sites, just to name a few. TM R&D has been growing from strength to strength since 2016, winning seven (7) globally recognised awards over the last two (2) years. Our innovations cut across multiple verticals such as the Smart Retail Analytics and Smart Safety Helmet, all developed internally by local talents in TM R&D. As the organisation continues to expand beyond connectivity and into new value-added digital and smarter platforms, its role in TM has become more prominent and exciting. For more information about TM R&D and its products and services, please log on to www.tmrnd.com.my. Follow us on LinkedIn (TM Research & Development) for more news and updates.

TM One and SME Bank collaborate to deliver technology funding to SMEs under PENJANA
TM One and SME Bank sign agreement to provide technology funding to SMEs via SME Technology Transformation Fund (STTF) TM One, the business and public sector solutions arm of Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM) today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Small Medium Enterprise Development Bank Malaysia Berhad (SME Bank), an agency under the Ministry of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperative to offer technology funding for its Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) customers to accelerate their business and digital transformation. The MoU was signed by Ahmad Taufek Omar, Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer, TM One while SME Bank was represented by Aria Putera Ismail, its Group President/Chief Executive Officer. The SME Technology Transformation Fund (STTF), is a fund set up between SME Bank and the Ministry of Finance to offer financing assistance of up to RM3.0 million to local SMEs. This is part of the Government's Pelan Jana Semula Ekonomi Negara (PENJANA) economic stimulus package to provide financial assistance to SMEs in adopting digitalisation and/or automation in their business operations. Commenting on the collaboration, Ahmad Taufek said, "We are excited to work hand-in-hand with SME Bank to accelerate digital adoption amongst our customers particularly in the SME segment. This is in support of the Government's efforts under PENJANA to execute key initiatives to help SMEs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our aim is to assist SMEs in addressing real business challenges and issues that they are currently facing with the digital solutions available. We have put in place dedicated teams and solutions to enable our customers to realise the full potential of their digital opportunities. Our Professional Services are a consultative approach in helping SMEs to understand how to plan their digital transformation based on their unique business requirements." Meanwhile, Aria said, "With a fund size of RM500 million, STTF is expected to directly assist SME entrepreneurs to achieve higher productivity, process efficiency, efficient cost management and greater market penetration. As at 11 November 2020, SME Bank has approved 18 applications worth RM36.55 million under the STTF fund. SME Bank's role in encouraging the SMEs to adopt digital technology was further enhanced with the introduction of ODELA, the first one-stop e-commerce platform backed by a Development Financial Institution (DFI), that enabled B2B entrepreneurs to make transactions and foster partnership across vast ecosystems. The Bank's wholesome approach in providing financing and entrepreneur development assistance further adds value and accelerate the development of digital economy thus boosting the nation's economic growth in this challenging time." STTF is to be used for financing the purchases of IT solutions and services, technology support services, computer hardware and software, equipment and/or machinery and other intangible assets to enhance productivity and efficiency. SMEs as defined by the National Entrepreneur and SME Development Council (NESDC) are eligible to apply for STTF. TM One's solutions are aimed at helping SMEs to achieve higher productivity, better cost management and improved efficiency for wider market penetration through the adoption of digitalisation and automation. As the digital enabler for enterprise and public sector customers with enterprise-grade connectivity and end-to-end cloud offerings, the Company is well positioned to enable the ecosystem for digital society, digital business and digital government. Leveraging on its complete digital solutions offerings across connectivity (Internet & Data), voice and collaboration tools, business outsourcing services, cloud services, cybersecurity and Internet of Things (IoT)-based smart services, TM One will fulfil the needs of businesses and the public sector in embracing digital convergence towards enabling Digital Malaysia. This is in line with TM Group's unique role as the nation's connectivity and digital infrastructure provider. It is also in support of Jalinan Digital Negara (JENDELA) Plan to drive Malaysia's Digital Economy through business digitalisation and new ways of working. For more information on TM One solutions and how to apply for STTF, visit www.smebank.com.my and www.tmone.com.my.