Telekom Malaysia Bhd (TM) has expressed interest in participating in the SALAM submarine cable project, which aims to strengthen connectivity between Peninsular Malaysia and East Malaysia. Group chief executive officer Datuk Amar Huzaimi Md Deris said the company is evaluating its options and is keen to participate in the initiative.
“We are very optimistic in evaluating options of connecting East Malaysia and West Malaysia, and certainly SALAM is one of the projects that we are very keen to also participate,” Huzaimi said during a media briefing on TM’s second-quarter financial results. However, he did not disclose whether TM has submitted a draft proposal to the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).
MCMC last month invited eligible telecommunications licensees to submit draft proposals for the SALAM (Sambungan Kabel Dasar Laut MADANI) initiative under the Universal Service Provision framework. Interested parties were asked to submit a registration of interest alongside a draft universal service plan for evaluation as part of the procurement process. However, MCMC has not yet provided a deadline for proposal submissions or a construction timeline for the project.
The project will involve a 5,582km submarine cable system comprising four segments and 10 cable landing stations connecting Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak. It is intended to strengthen the resilience and reliability of Malaysia’s communications network while providing greater redundancy between the regions.
The SALAM project was allocated RM2 billion under Budget 2026, with the network expected to support the expansion of broadband and 5G services. It will also provide additional infrastructure for cloud computing, data centres, artificial intelligence and other digital industries, supporting Malaysia’s broader digital economy.
On a related note, TM has also joined international cable projects, including the Asia Direct Cable last year. It is designed to connect Malaysia with Singapore, Thailand, Taiwan and Japan.
(Source: The Edge Malaysia)
