Singapore-linked 5G operator chosen independently, does not breach good governance: Malaysia Communications Minister

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Mr Fahmi, quoted by The Edge, added that the selection process was entirely managed by the MCMC, and clarified that it was conducted through a “beauty contest” approach, not a strong prize. &nbsp,

In Malaysia, the highest international holding permitted for a community service provider is 49 per cent, he said. &nbsp,

Meanwhile, U Mobile is already committed to reducing foreign holdings to 20 per cent, which Mr Fahmi raised in parliament. 

The mobile network operator’s announcement to reduce its foreign majority shareholding to 20 % from the current 48.3 % will give rise to greater Malaysian control, the mobile network operator had announced in a media statement on November 2.

Currently, state-owned 5G operator, Digital Nasional Bhd ( DNB), is the country’s primary 5G provider. &nbsp,

Mr. Fahmi added that good management was not in conflict with U Mobile’s picture on DNB’s board of directors. &nbsp,

According to Mr. Fahmi, as quoted in The Edge,” The previous management decided to allow mobile network operators to listen to stock in DNB, giving them board representation.”

It reported that now, U Mobile and three different companies — CelcomDigi, Maxis, and YTL Power International Bhd each carry a 16.3 per cent interest in DNB, with the Ministry of Finance holding 34.88 per share. &nbsp,

In a press release on November 6, MCMC stated in a statement that the selection of U Mobile was based on a number of factors, including the company and specialized ideas submitted, as well as its level of customer satisfaction and issue costs. &nbsp,

The declaration read,” their significant contribution to the Universal Service Provision tasks such as Jendela Phase and the 4G changing job,” which Mr. Fahmi once again reiterated in congress. &nbsp,

The Jendela plan was created to improve the quality of the bandwidth knowledge and expand coverage.

Mr Fahmi but did not explain why U Mobile’s charge was selected over another companies, somewhat Maxis and CelcomDigi.

CelcomDigi has over 20 million users while U Mobile simply has more than 8.5 million members, according to the official websites of both users. &nbsp,

Maxis has over 12 million subscribers, according to its 2023 annual review.