26 Nov 2025
TM Advances STEM Education at 35 Schools Nationwide, Launches TMFS Programme
PENANG, 26 November 2025 – Yayasan TM (YTM), the foundation arm of Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM), today launched the TM Future Skills (TMFS) programme at SMKA (P) AlMashoor, Penang, one of 35 schools nationwide adopted by YTM under the Government’s Sekolah Angkat Malaysia MADANI initiative.
Representing YB Senator Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah bin Azizan, Minister of Finance II, the launch was officiated by YB Lim Hui Ying, Deputy Minister of Finance – marking an important milestone in expanding digital learning opportunities and strengthening students’ participation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). As an all-girls school, SMKA (P) AlMashoor represents an important opportunity to strengthen female participation in STEM and inspire more young women to pursue future-focused fields. This aligns with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 5 (Gender Equality), particularly in ensuring equal access to education and promoting women’s involvement in science and technology. The school also exemplifies the inclusivity that TMFS aims to deliver across all 35 adopted schools which span remote, island, vernacular and religious schools. This diversity underscores TM’s commitment to ensuring that students, regardless of background or learning environment, gain equitable access to future-ready digital education.
YB Senator Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah bin Azizan, Minister of Finance II, highlighted the importance of strengthening digital readiness in schools to support Malaysia’s long-term economic aspirations. “Initiatives such as TM Future Skills play a meaningful role in preparing students with the digital competencies needed to thrive in an increasingly technology-driven world, particularly for high-value sectors that drive national growth. This is an exemplary model of a collaborative effort between government, industry and schools, and I applaud TM for this programme.”
TMFS provides students with structured exposure to STEM subjects through hands-on learning and practical application, including robotics, 3D design, coding, microcontrollers and AI-assisted learning tools. Beyond STEM modules, TMFS also offers teacher certification, digital and soft-skills training including AI learning and communication skills, as well as capability building activities beyond the classroom, such as sports and academic competitions. These components ensure a more holistic and integrated future skills experience for participating schools.
A central feature of the programme is the TMFS Digital Hub. Equipped with 3D printers, robotics kits, programming and coding sets, the hub enables students to apply classroom concepts through real-world activities. Selected “nucleus” schools such as SMKA (P) AlMashoor will also extend the benefits of their Digital Hubs to surrounding satellite schools, contributing to the programme’s broader reach. Collectively, the TMFS programme is expected to benefit more than 60,000 students nationwide through shared learning, digital training and enhanced teacher readiness.
TM Group Chief Executive Officer, Amar Huzaimi Md Deris, said, “TMFS plays an important role in developing Malaysia’s future digital talent. By expanding this programme to 35 schools nationwide, we are enabling more students to acquire the skills needed to succeed in a digital world. This reflects TM’s greater purpose as a nation builder - to nurture talent, broaden digital participation and support a more inclusive future for all Malaysians, in line with our aspiration to become a Digital Powerhouse by 2030.”
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TM, PETRONAS AND GENTARI PARTNER TO DRIVE DIGITAL AND SUSTAINABLE INNOVATION FOR INDUSTRY AND NATION BUILDING
KUALA LUMPUR, 19 DECEMBER 2024 – TM has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with PETRONAS through its digital arm PETRONAS Digital Sdn Bhd (PDSB), and clean energy arm Gentari Sdn Bhd (Gentari), to drive digital transformation and sustainable innovation for industries and the nation. Under this collaboration, TM and PETRONAS will explore new revenue streams through the expansion of product offerings to enterprise and consumer markets, and drive growth and innovation through data centre, advanced cloud and connectivity for Malaysian businesses. The integration of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and Internet of Things (IoT)-based solutions is expected to optimise city services, improve operational efficiency, and enhance public services, contributing to a smarter and more sustainable future. The MoU was exchanged between Megawati Norhashim, Vice President, Enterprise Business, TM One; Ts. Shaharuddin Hamid Mustapha, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), PDSB; and Shah Yang Razalli, Deputy CEO & Chief Green Mobility Officer, Gentari; The exchange was witnessed by Shazurawati Abd Karim, Executive Vice President for TM One on behalf of TM; Ir. Mohd Yusri Mohamed Yusof, Senior Vice President, Project Delivery & Technology; and Izwan Ismail, Vice President of Group Technology & Commercialisation on behalf of PETRONAS and Gentari. Shazurawati said, “We are pleased to partner with PETRONAS to drive digital and sustainable innovations that will empower growth, industry advancements, and Malaysia's technological capabilities. TM’s established nationwide infrastructure and diverse solutions, aligning with PETRONAS’ goals for energy transformation. By harnessing the power of 5G, cloud, AI, and IoT, we are laying the groundwork for a more efficient and resilient future. This reflects our shared vision for a digitally advanced and sustainable Malaysia, a pivotal commitment in TM’s efforts to become a Digital Powerhouse by 2030.” Ir. Yusri noted, “Today marks a significant milestone in PETRONAS’ and TM’s collaboration, now further strengthened and poised for an even greater impact with Gentari on board. This MoU will foster the creation of valuable applications that harness the power of technology including clean technologies, which can serve as benchmarks for large-scale implementation across various industries. Anchored by PETRONAS’ commitment towards purposeful value creation and positive social impact, we are excited for the transformations ahead. Together, we aim to push the envelope of establishing a thriving digital ecosystem that is also environmentally sustainable." The partnership between Gentari and TM further explores the integration of clean energy solutions through solar and EV charging in TM facilities. Shah shared, “We are pleased to support this collaboration, which emphasises the role of clean energy in fostering Malaysia’s progress in digitalisation and sustainability. By integrating renewable energy and green mobility solutions into TM’s operations, we aim to contribute a sustainable pathway towards the nation’s energy transition. This collaboration underscores our shared effort to create a more sustainable digital ecosystem and supports Malaysia’s aspirations of achieving net zero emissions by 2050.” TM, PETRONAS and Gentari will continue to set new standards in the industry by harnessing cutting-edge technologies and sustainable practices to create new milestones in Malaysia’s digital transformation.
TM AND SINGTEL’S NXERA BREAK GROUND FOR SUSTAINABLE, HYPER-CONNECTED DATA CENTRE CAMPUS IN JOHOR
ISKANDAR PUTERI, 25 JULY 2024 – TM and Nxera, the regional data centre arm of Singtel’s Digital InfraCo unit, held a groundbreaking ceremony for their data centre campus in Iskandar Puteri, Johor. The groundbreaking comes one month after the announcement for a joint venture to develop data centres in Malaysia and uplift Johor’s digital hub status. This 64MW state-of-the-art, sustainable, hyper-connected, AI-ready data centre campus reinforces Malaysia’s high quality digital infrastructure. It also supports the government's efforts to drive the digital economy and transform the country into a hub for industrial growth, AI development and innovation. Malaysia's Digital Minister YB Gobind Singh Deo; YB Lee Ting Han, Chairman, Johor State Investment, Trade, Consumer Affairs and Human Resources Committee; and Singapore's Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry and Culture, Community and Youth Low Yen Ling graced the groundbreaking event as the Guests-of-Honour. Minister YB Gobind said, "This investment by TM and Nxera reinforces Malaysia's position as the digital hub in Southeast Asia, further advancing the nation's economic growth. Based on advance estimates, Malaysia's economy expanded 5.8% in the second quarter of 2024, and such investments are in line with projections that Malaysia's digital economy will contribute 25.5% to the nation's GDP by the end of the year. The relationship between TM and Nxera expands to Malaysia and Singapore, with both nations being a good case study of a productive working partnership between two ASEAN member states." YAB Dato Onn Hafiz Ghazi, Menteri Besar, Johor said, “TM-Nxera’s upcoming data centre campus, located right here in Iskandar Puteri, holds particular significance as one of the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone’s first investment projects. We welcome the comprehensive scope of their investment with respect to high quality infrastructure, sustainability as well as employment and skilling opportunities which supports our emphasis on talent development, green technology and renewable energy. This data centre campus will serve as a catalyst for economic growth and enable businesses to harness the power of cloud computing and AI. We hope this will set the stage to shape a vibrant business ecosystem where more high-tech and high-value content companies will be attracted to locate their operations within the special economic zone and give a further boost to Johor’s digital economy.” Senior Minister of State Low said, “Data centres are important enablers of our digital economy, powering our economy’s data-driven needs. As technology advances, robust, next-generation digital infrastructure like the TM-Nxera Data Centre will be essential to support AI advancements and foster value creation. Today’s groundbreaking marks a milestone in the deepening economic relations between Singapore and Malaysia, and I look forward to the outcomes we can achieve through close collaboration.” Amar Huzaimi Md Deris, TM’s Group CEO, said, “Today marks a pivotal milestone in our journey to becoming a digital powerhouse as we break ground on this cutting-edge AI-ready data centre. This facility exemplifies our commitment to fostering industry growth, driving innovation, and enhancing socio-economic development. With support from the Federal Government, and Johor state agencies and authorities, we are confident that this AI-ready data centre will equip businesses with unparalleled computing power, AI capabilities, and other cutting-edge technologies. We are excited to lead the way into a future where AI and data analytics drive transformative solutions, revolutionising industries and enriching both our nation and the world.” Bill Chang, CEO of Nxera and Singtel’s Digital InfraCo unit, said, “As one of the largest investments in the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone, this state-of-the-art data centre campus is an integral part of our mission to empower digital economies and communities in the region while ensuring energy and water resources are deployed responsibly and efficiently. It expands our regional data centre platform’s strategic presence in this fast-growing Asia region. With Malaysia embracing AI to drive competitiveness and innovation, our campus will spur economic growth by helping companies leverage AIs and cloud computing to drive efficiencies and accelerate their business transformation. Our investment isn’t just about the campus, it is about bringing benefits to the local economy through digitalisation, developing local talent, creating employment opportunities and enhancing international connectivity. We would like to express our gratitude to the Johor State Executive Council, Invest Johor, Iskandar Regional Development Authority, Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation and Malaysian Investment Development Authority for their support.” Scheduled to begin commercial operations in 2026, this cloud-enabled Tier 3 data centre campus will use liquid cooling to handle higher power density AI workloads. The facility will be designed, built and certified to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards, incorporating energy and water-efficient solutions to optimise the use of resources. This underscores the joint venture's commitment to long-term sustainability goals. To support the new data centre campus, the joint venture plans to expand submarine cable connectivity, enabling a thriving and vibrant digital ecosystem. Located just 16 km from Singapore, the data centre campus will allow customers to seamlessly expand their infrastructure from the city state and the rest of the region. Further, the data centre can be scaled up to 200MW in response to market demand. In addition, apart from creation of new employment opportunities that is important for nation building, the joint venture will invest in building talent for the data centre industry by fostering collaborations between universities in Singapore and Malaysia. It aims to design comprehensive courses with specialised curriculum to provide students with well-rounded knowledge and the requisite skills to propel Malaysia’s growth aspirations. For communities and the region, this means superior country-to-country connectivity and a smarter, more resilient digital economy. As announced in Bursa, this joint venture is conditional upon receiving approval from TM shareholders in the upcoming EGM.
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.
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