Telcos must buck up or face action

 They should stop making 5G promises if they cannot provide basic connectivity.

From Ashraf Abdullah

The search and rescue operation for a hiker at Gunung Batu Putih in Perak has once again exposed a longstanding problem that Malaysians have been complaining about for years – poor telecommunications coverage and unreliable mobile connectivity.

According to an FMT report, communication difficulties hampered coordination among search and rescue personnel involved in the operation.

In emergency situations, communication is not a luxury, it is a necessity.

Every delayed message, every dropped call, and every failed data connection can affect response times and potentially place lives at risk.

While many may dismiss the incident by arguing that Gunung Batu Putih is located in a remote area, the uncomfortable truth is that poor telecommunications coverage is not confined to forests, mountains, or rural villages.

The same frustrations are being experienced daily in urban centres such as Subang Jaya, Shah Alam, and other parts of the Klang Valley.

It is difficult to understand how residents living in some of Malaysia’s most developed urban areas continue to face situations where their phones struggle to receive even a single bar of signal.

There are locations in housing areas, commercial centres, and even along major roads where calls suddenly drop, internet speeds crawl, and mobile applications become unusable.

My family and I experience connectivity problems when we go to a restaurant at the Boulevard in Denai Alam, Shah Alam, or when visiting relatives in USJ, Subang Jaya. How is this possible? These are urban areas, and this is 2026.

This is happening despite years of promises, endless advertising campaigns, and claims that billions of ringgit have been invested in telecommunications infrastructure.

Malaysians are constantly bombarded with advertisements promoting ultra-fast 5G services, seamless connectivity, and world-class digital infrastructure. The marketing message suggests that Malaysia is rapidly becoming a leading digital nation. Yet, the actual experience on the ground often tells a different story.

Many consumers are asking a simple question: where exactly is this much-publicised 5G experience?

The reality is that many users continue to struggle with weak coverage, unstable connections, and inconsistent service quality despite paying increasingly expensive monthly subscriptions. Consumers are paying premium prices but receiving mediocre service.

What makes the situation even more frustrating is that this is not a new problem.

For years, telecommunications companies have been repeatedly warned by the government and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) about poor service quality and weak coverage.

On Feb 7, 2023, the communications and digital ministry (as it was then known) publicly warned telecommunications companies that they had until June 2023 to resolve service quality issues faced by consumers. The minister, Fahmi Fadzil, made it clear that service quality complaints had become a serious concern and that telcos were expected to address them promptly. Yet three years later, consumers are still making the same complaints.

The warnings did not stop there.

On March 8, 2024, New Straits Times reported that telecommunications companies could face higher fines for poor service delivery. Fahmi acknowledged that authorities had received numerous complaints about delays in service delivery and poor customer experience. The report highlighted the government’s growing frustration with recurring service issues affecting consumers.

More recently, on April 13, 2025, The Star reported that Fahmi had given telecommunications companies until 5pm on the same day to submit solutions to widespread internet access problems or face stern action. In unusually strong remarks, the minister criticised telcos for being quick to pursue unpaid bills while taking months to respond to customer complaints about poor coverage.

On the same day, Sinar Harian quoted Fahmi as saying he had been patient for long enough, and warned that MCMC would begin enforcement action if comprehensive solutions were not presented.

Just two days later, FMT reported that telcos had been instructed to prepare monthly task lists to resolve internet connectivity issues, following continued complaints from the public.

The question Malaysians should be asking is simple: after all these warnings, deadlines, and threats of enforcement, what has actually changed?

Evidence suggests that the problem remains widespread.

In August 2025, deputy communications minister Teo Nie Ching revealed in Parliament that MCMC had detected more than 1,600 service quality non-compliance issues involving telecommunications providers across the country within just seven months.

The findings were based on nationwide quality audits conducted by MCMC. A total of 1,684 non-compliance issues involving 815 locations were identified.

Even more concerning was the revelation that MCMC had previously issued hundreds of directives to telecommunications companies for failing to comply with mandatory service quality standards. Yet, many cases remained unresolved because infrastructure upgrades and network improvements were still pending.

This raises serious questions about accountability.

• How many warnings must be issued before meaningful action is taken?
• How many more enforcement notices must be sent before consumers see actual improvements?
• And how many more years must Malaysians continue paying premium rates for services that often fail to meet basic expectations?

Telecommunications services today are as important as electricity and water. Businesses depend on them. Students depend on them. Emergency responders depend on them. Families depend on them.

The government cannot continue to rely solely on coverage statistics and corporate presentations submitted by telecommunications providers. What matters is not what appears on a coverage map but what consumers experience in real life.

MCMC should conduct more aggressive independent testing in urban centres, publish detailed performance rankings for each telecommunications provider, and impose meaningful financial penalties on companies that repeatedly fail to meet mandatory service standards.

Consumers deserve transparency. They deserve accountability. Most importantly, they deserve the level of service they are paying for.

Malaysia cannot aspire to become a digital powerhouse while basic telecommunications services remain unreliable.

The time for warnings has passed.

It is time to crack the whip. - FMT

Ashraf Abdullah is former Group Managing Editor, Television Networks, Media Prima Bhd.

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.