JUNE 16 — We refer to the article by SM Mohamed Idris, President of the Consumer Association of Penang (CAP) titled “Telekom Malaysia needs an overhaul” published in The Malay Mail (online).
Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM) would like to thank the author for the feedback and bringing this matter to our attention.
We acknowledge that we recently faced unexpected service interruptions in Penang but we wish to inform that these are localised cases in certain part of the state. We would like to clarify that these cases stemmed from the recent major breakdown in Penang central area due to cable breakdown caused by third party as well as cable theft incidents. We wish to re-iterate that the said major breakdowns had been restored.
TM had recently engaged CAP whereby TM has explained the matter to the representatives of the association, including SM Mohamed Idris as the President. During the session, TM gave its assurance and re-iterated its commitment to provide better service experience and continue working very closely with various local authorities for the benefit of its customers in Penang.
Both parties view cable theft as a serious issue as it involves public interest and safety, particularly when it causes difficulty for local communities to communicate and seek for help in case of emergencies. To a large extent, cable theft incidents had also caused unjustified multiple service interruptions nationwide. TM would thus like to take this opportunity to kindly seek cooperation from all parties, especially the local communities and members of the public, in ensuring that the communication facilities provided are preserved and protected from any undesired incidents such as cable theft and vandalism. We welcome the public to be a part of TM’s collective ‘eyes and ears’ and immediately lodge a report by calling 999 should they come across or witness a cable theft incident so that appropriate actions can be taken by the authorities. To curb cable theft incidents, TM has doubled its efforts by taking proactive measures including installing the i-Watch alarm system which is directly connected to a local control centre to notify TM of any attempts to steal or cut the cable. TM also collaborates with the authorities and local communities to conduct patrols around the areas identified as hot spots for cable theft.
While addressing the operational challenges, TM is committed to continuously upgrade its network infrastructure to ensure TM customers nationwide will be able to enjoy an enhanced service experience. For Penang, the citizens are set to enjoy faster connectivity with better quality, enabling them to fully embrace the digital lifestyle when the High Speed Broadband Phase 2 (HSBB) and Suburban Broadband (SUBB) projects are rolled-out in the state soon, as the projects will cover more areas – residential and business areas – in Penang.
TM, as Malaysia’s Convergence Champion and No. 1 Converged Communications Services Provider, is committed to continuously deliver on “Life Made Easier” and “Business Made Easier” to all our customers.
* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malay Mail Online.
