MCMC says nothing to do with Xiddig broadband project after flap over DPM speech

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 25 ― The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) today clarified that it is not involved in a high-speed broadband project by Xiddig Cellular Communications Sdn Bhd, a company in the news recently over an unauthorised speech at the project’s launch.

MCMC, which regulates the communications and multimedia industry, denied involvement in the project dubbed “EM-IIG”.

“The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) would like to clarify that the ‘Enhanced Malaysia International Internet Gateway Highspeed Broadband’ developed by Xiddig, is a commercial endeavour, which does not involve MCMC,” it said in a statement today.

The MCMC also explained that Xiddig was a licensee under the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 (CMA), with all licensees required to comply with the Act’s provisions and terms and conditions of the licences and all instruments issued under the Act.

But the MCMC also pointed out that being a licensee does not mean a company has backing from it.

“A license issued under the CMA is NOT equivalent to an endorsement by MCMC. Any party intending to collaborate with any licensee under the Communications and Multimedia Act is advised to conduct its own due diligence,” it said.

On January 22, media reports emerged of a speech attributed to the deputy prime minister which was read out by the Dewan Rakyat Deputy Speaker Datuk Mohd Rashid Hasnon at the EM-IIG project launch.

According to those news reports, the RM5.45 billion project involved the installation of the world’s largest optical fibre which would allow Malaysia to have the fastest internet speed with the 5G platform in South-east Asia by 2022.

But Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail’s office had on the same day clarified that she had never approved the speech text that was read out nor had she delegated anyone to read it on her behalf at the event.

Dr Wan Azizah’s office also said she had never said the government would extend its full cooperation towards the EM-IIG project’s implementation.

Mohd Rashid also later denied having represented the deputy prime minister at the project launch, saying he was merely there as an invited guest and was originally not scheduled to deliver any speech or officiate the event.

Mohd Rashid said organisers had told him that the deputy prime minister was unable to attend and he was asked to deliver a speech with a speech text given by the organisers as a guide.

In a report also on January 22, news portal FreeMalaysiaToday reported Xiddig chairman Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahim as saying that his company received a letter from the deputy prime minister’s office to confirm her attendance, but were told the night prior to the event that she would be unable to make it.

Abdul Rashid reportedly said that Xiddig was given approval from the deputy prime minister’s political secretary to use the speech.