The competition with its theme “Return Stronger”, organised in collaboration with Strada Films Sdn Bhd, offers total cash prizes of RM25,000 to 9 winners, complete with digital content, knowledge sharing, live events and film masterclasses opportunities
Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM) through its foundation arm, Yayasan TM (YTM) has taken the initiative to continue supporting the nation’s creative industry development by organising “Young Filmmaker 2021”, a short film competition. It opens up opportunities for young, local budding filmmakers to express their creative ideas and talents and enhance their potential in professional filmmaking.
The competition, with the theme “Return Stronger”, is open to all students as well as the public from ages 18 to 35 and offers total cash prizes of RM25,000 to nine (9) winners. It is co-organised by Strada Films Sdn Bhd in collaboration with Digital Perak Corporation Holdings (Digital Perak), Multimedia University (MMU) as well a host of other partners to provide digital content, knowledge sharing, live events and masterclasses throughout this three (3) months programme.
The “Young Filmmaker 2021” was officially launched in a virtual ceremony by Zakaria Abdul Hamid, Chairman of National Film Development Corporation Malaysia (FINAS) together with Izlyn Ramli, Director of YTM; and Mohamad Azlan Norani, Chief Executive Officer, Strada Films Sdn Bhd. The virtual session was also joined by Meor Rezal Fitri Dato' Dr. Hj. Meor Redwan, Chief Executive Officer of Digital Perak; Khir Rahman, President of Malaysian Cinematic Auteurs Guild (MCAG); and Ghaz Abu Bakar, President of Digital Creative Content Creators Associations Malaysia (DCAM) who is also the lead juror for the competition.
Commenting on the launch, Izlyn said, “As a purpose driven social impact based foundation, YTM is committed to human capital development and today, we are unveiling yet another digital platform to unleash the budding talents in the creative industry; particularly filmmaking in Malaysia. The “Young Filmmaker 2021” is a collaborative effort that we hope will further empower them through digital content creation. This is in line with TM Group’s unique role as the enabler of Digital Malaysia and at YTM, we are focusing on three (3) strengthened branches namely Education, Community & National Development, and Tourism, Culture & Heritage. This initiative is part of our third pillar, connecting the dots between youth, talent and creativity to skills development and digital opportunities.”
“Despite the challenges we faced as a nation during this Covid-19 pandemic, there are countless stories, experiences and events that have inspired us. The theme, "Return Stronger" welcomes and celebrates those uplifting stories around us that will give the young filmmakers the freedom to express their creativity based on life and humanity that will hopefully in turn, touch and inspire the audience. We would also like to thank all our partners, and especially our esteemed judges for their invaluable time and commitment to make this the best experience for all participants,” she added.
The Young Filmmaker 2021 competition features a panel of professional jurors comprising renowned film directors and producers such as Ghaz Abu Bakar, Eyra Rahman, Vimala Perumal, Khir Rahman, Aziz M. Osman, Jason Chong, Nik Amir, Razaisyam Rashid and Azhari Zain.
YTM also collaborates with the Malaysian Cinematic Auteurs Guild (MCAG) to provide opportunities for young talents to reach their highest potential in filmmaking. The winner of The Best Director Award for this programme will be selected as a Finalist for the “Rahsia Sutradara” Programme by MCAG under the Malaysia Creative Capabilities Enhancement Programme (MyCAP). The winner of the award will have a chance to be mentored by a distinguished panel of film directors to produce a fully sponsored film worth up to RM1.2 million. This collaboration will further broaden the young filmmakers’ horizons from short films to full-fledged movies.
Besides MCAG, Digital Perak together with the State’s arts and culture agencies; Perak State Information Department, Perak Tourism, People of Remarkable Talents (PORT) Ipoh and other partners will also host a series of knowledge sharing programmes for the participants of “Young Filmmaker 2021” with industry experts virtually through the PiOR.TV interactive channel. This will provide the young talents with the insights into the art and business of filmmaking.
This is not YTM’s first collaboration in the creative industry. In 2015, YTM and unifi TV organised an ‘I Want To Be A Filmmaker’ (IWTBAF) competition to discover talented young local filmmakers. Azlan Norani was the Grand Prize Winner in the competition and he won a YTM scholarship in Cinematic Arts at MMU. After the competition, Azlan continued his studies in MMU at the Iskandar Puteri campus in Johor and later founded his own film production company, Strada Films Sdn Bhd.
“Young Filmmaker 2021” is calling for emerging and professional content creators to submit their short films around the theme of “Return Stronger”, before the closing deadline of 31 December 2021. To submit your entry and to find out more about the ‘Young Filmmaker 2021’ competition, visit https://www.youngfilmmaker.com.my/
Don’t miss your chance to win total cash prizes of RM25,000 to kick start your filmmaking career. This is your time to shine!
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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.
unifi encourages MSMEs to maximise Government Digitalisation Grant and accelerate their digitalisation journey with its suite of digital-first solutions
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TM Registers Higher Profits in FY2023, Sustaining Resilient Performance
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The newly launched Unifi TV Originals provides a wide array of unique, diverse and locally tailored content for an enriched experience for Malaysian viewers. These further contribute to the Group’s true convergence proposition, providing better value to all customers. As a preferred partner to more than 400,000 MSMEs nationwide, Unifi Business continues to accelerate digital adoption by providing tailor-made solutions, offering them the tools and support needed to thrive in the digital economy. Looking ahead, Unifi will further cement its role as a leader in convergence to deliver unmatched converged digital services. TM One drives innovative solutions for enterprise TM One continues to navigate the market complexities while exploring new growth opportunities. Despite decreased revenue to RM3.14 billion in FY2023, its 4Q23 results showed an increase in revenue of 17.3% versus 3Q23, driven by a surge in solution-based customer projects. TM One has partnered with PLANMalaysia to equip 29 city councils with smart technologies for sustainable and connected urban environment. It was also appointed as the preferred converged digital infrastructure partner for the Sarawak Digital Economy Corporation (SDEC) to materialise aspirations towards the growth of Sarawak’s digital economy. Moving forward, TM One is poised to remain at the forefront of supporting and enabling the digital infrastructure for both government entities and enterprises. With a focus on innovation and strategic partnerships, TM One is set to play a significant role in Malaysia’s digital transformation journey. TM Global positions Malaysia as a digital hub for the region TM Global posted a solid financial performance in FY2023. Its revenue rose 8.7% to RM3.10 billion, primarily from an increase in international data revenue, driven by managed wavelength services for hyperscalers, alongside an uptick in domestic data services. In the domestic landscape, TM Global continues to expand 5G backhaul sites and High-Speed Broadband (HSBB) Access coverage in accelerating digital inclusivity nationwide. Globally, it recorded a year-on-year 30Tbps bandwidth growth and delivered a mega requirement of more than 35Tbps long-term leased connectivity for US-based hyperscaler. TM Global will continue to broaden its digital infrastructure solutions and forge strategic alliances with global carriers to position Malaysia as a digital hub for the region, facilitating seamless digital connectivity and services across borders.