17 May 2022
K-KOMM Deputy Minister officiates Yayasan TM’s effort for most number of Gutta Percha planted within 24 hours
Recognised by the Malaysia Book of Records, campaign sees planting of 5,017 trees across 23 locations with 18 collaborative partners
Yayasan TM (YTM), the foundation arm of Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM), today launched The Largest Gutta Percha Tree-Planting Event in 24 hours, a Malaysia Book of Records certified campaign in conjunction with World Telecommunication and Information Society Day 2022.
The project, inspired by the “Greening Malaysia; Our Trees, Our Life” campaign under the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources that aims to preserve the country’s biological diversity, was co-organised with Yayasan Sukarelawan Siswa (YSS), and saw 1,000 student volunteers and TM’s own Reaching Out Volunteers (TM ROVers) working together to plant 5,017 Gutta Percha trees at 23 locations simultaneously.
Launched by YB Datuk Zahidi Zainul Abidin, Deputy Minister of Communications and Multimedia, together with Dato’ Haji Rosli Isa, Secretary General, Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, the campaign specifically chose the Gutta Percha tree species for its significant heritage status in Malaysia.
Native to the country and known as Nyatoh Taban Merah to locals, the species was instrumental for the early beginnings of the global submarine telegraph network. In 1851, the latex from the Gutta Percha tree was discovered to be the best insulating material and led to the invention of the first submarine cable in the world. While it was replaced with polyethylene by the 1950s, this humble tree essentially spearheaded modern telecommunications capabilities globally.
Hosting the event, Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Abd. Ghafar Mahmud, Board of Trustee Member of YTM said, “This symbolic Gutta Percha tree-planting programme is a collaborative effort to protect our natural heritage and to honour the unique role it has played in connecting communities throughout the world. From its humble origins in our own forests, this species has transformed our communications capabilities, and it is now our duty to protect it for future generations.”
Speaking at the launch, YB Datuk Zahidi said, “The World Telecommunication and Information Society Day this year is celebrated by industry players, agencies and corporate partners in their own unique ways. As we move with the fast pace of the digital world, we need to balance it with green conservation efforts to sustain our environment. I am thrilled and excited with today’s event that sees the preservation of Gutta Percha, a native and very important species particularly to telecommunications. Congratulations to YTM and YSS for this unique collaboration!”
A total of 18 partners from local councils, institutions and universities also collaborated on this project, providing designated areas for Gutta Percha education, research and development, as well as participating in the tree-planting initiative. Besides YSS, these partners include: Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM), Jabatan Perhutanan Semenanjung Malaysia, Perbadanan Putrajaya, Majlis Perbandaran Sepang, Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur, Multimedia University (MMU), International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM), University of Malaya (UM), Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Universiti Teknologi MARA (UITM), Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP) and Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP) as well as Mr DIY, Hara Makers and unifi.
In addition to tree-planting, YTM is also supporting Buy for Impact’s social enterprise, Hara Makers, through their Reimagine Plastic environmental initiatives. The foundation is further helping economically-disadvantaged communities through an income-generating project to create upcycled volunteers’ hats for the Gutta Percha Tree-Planting event.
Extending the impact of the project beyond the launch event, YTM, in partnership with unifi, is running an Adopt-A-Tree campaign via unifi Rewards points redemptions. unifi customers will have the opportunity to adopt a Gutta Percha tree by donating their points towards this effort via the myunifi application or portal. Through their support, the adopted trees will be planted within the 23 unifi Green Zones and customers will receive a digital certificate from YTM for their contribution.
These initiatives tie in with TM Group’s Environmental, Societal and Governance (ESG) sustainability commitments, connecting the three components with Malaysia’s national heritage conservation as well as education efforts.
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68 excellent YTM scholars honoured at ’Majlis Anugerah Kecemerlangan Akademik’
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Indulge Your Sensory Experience At The Upcoming Immersio Festival Organised By Yayasan Tm And Filamen At Muzium Telekom
Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM) through its foundation arm, Yayasan TM (YTM) continues to support the nation's creative industry development by hosting IMMERSIO Festival in collaboration with Filamen at Muzium Telekom Kuala Lumpur. The festival is one of the unique large-scale Art & Technology experiential exhibitions to be staged in the city centering on New Media Art, NFT Crypto Art and Immersive Art, featuring more than 60 local digital artists and collectives from Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Johor, Penang, Kelantan, Sabah and Sarawak. IMMERSIO was established in 2017 with the objective to bring together new media artists from around Kuala Lumpur and the region to exhibit their work marrying arts and technology. After a 2-year hiatus due to the pandemic, the event is back for its fourth (4th) instalment. This month, the festival will occupy Muzium Telekom for the first time, throughout the 27,000 sqft venue in the heart of Kuala Lumpur with 12 immersive installations and 7 workshops as well as talks. Situated within the 94-years old heritage building, Muzium Telekom traces the history of telecommunications in Malaysia from the 1870s up to the present, and IMMERSIO with the theme Mengukir pays homage to the country's achievements in digital infrastructure. Bringing together like-minded emerging and well-established artists, YTM aims to create more meaningful and accessible relationships between people, cultural heritage and the digital world through art and technology. Among the line-up is the Kuala Lumpur based artist, Jun Ong's kinetic installation "Beacon", an expression of the sensorial response to the extinction of nature. Visitors are also invited to take a walk around the room featuring "In Soul in the Fabric of Society", an installation of songket handwoven fabrics by a collective of women weavers from Sarawak known as Tanoti, as well as art installation using fiber optic materials by Cheong See Min, a weaver and textile artist based in Johor. Walking into the exhibition, the visitors will experience Network, an audio installation of telecommunication soundbites from the classic landline telephone to 5G radio waves specially curated by artist duo iwaz and Martian Backline. Conceived partly in response to the Covid-19 crisis, which has been a time of isolation for many, the installation reminds us to be grateful for advancement of technologies that we often take for granted. YTM aims to transform this heritage museum into a vibrant and versatile public arts space that enable artists, collectors and art lovers to immerse themselves to experience these new art mediums in new exciting ways and at the same time provide a platform for inspiring talents including TM Group's own Multimedia University (MMU) students to showcase their creativity and innovation at Muzium Telekom. Holding on to the higher principle of ensuring that no one gets left behind in this digital age, YTM is also exhibiting the extraordinary artworks from WE&I and Nakseni gifted artists in the Virtual Reality (VR) Gallery. The festival will be also featuring the artwork by Rashwin Kalithas, a five-year old special needs young artist that will be receiving a recognition by The Malaysia Book of Records for the "Youngest Autistic Child to Hold Solo Digital Arts Exhibition" at this Media & Partner Night held at Muzium Telekom. Commenting on IMMERSIO and the collaboration with Filamen, Director of Yayasan TM, Izlyn Ramli said, "As a purpose driven social impact based foundation, YTM is committed to the development of arts, creative ventures and culture. It is a necessary part of our nation's heritage preservation and celebration but also a key foundation to build our future. Creativity and innovation are not just confined to a certain sector, they are applicable across all fields of life as well as being key life skills as an individual. This must be nurtured and supported by all stakeholders for the betterment of society. Through IMMERSIO, YTM is also activating our digital talent incubator at Muzium Telekom that is part of our third pillar of Tourism, Culture and Heritage, alongside Education and Community and Nation-Building, connecting the dots between youth, talent and creativity to skills development, digital opportunities and collaborative partners." "This year, YTM has launched The Muzium Telekom Transformation Plan to reactivate and placemake our heritage building as an engaging public space, with the aim of education, entertainment and monetisation opportunities for the communities we serve. One of our placemaking initiatives is "TEMU Weekends", a community-driven creative event that happens every Saturday and Sunday to engage and draw people to Muzium Telekom where they can socialise and hang out together with friends, family and the city. YTM will continue its ongoing mission with future-forward immersive museum exhibits and many more exciting and engaging community programmes" she added. As the main organiser, Co-founder of Filamen, Abdul Shakir said, " IMMERSIO will become a major platform for local and international artists in art and technology. We hope this will nurture more young talents into the digital medium and new media arts. This platform is also meant to connect and engage different communities to make arts and technology more engaging and accessible. We look forward to build IMMERSIO up further to become one of the leading arts and technology festivals within the region and internationally. Thank you Yayasan TM for this opportunity to utilise and interact with this wonderful space at Muzium Telekom this year!" The organiser would also like to thank all its partners, especially EPSON Malaysia, Martian Backline, Wonderland, HelioMedia, Experiential Design Team, InTransit, CahayaXR, Lokalocal, WE&I, Nakseni and event partners iNYALA, Kuala Lumpur Art Book Fair, Kuala Lumpur Illustration Fair and Klang River Festival for their invaluable efforts and commitment to make this the best experience for the visitors. Also present today to officiate IMMERSIO's Media & Partner Night at Muzium Telekom was Datuk TPr Sulaiman Mohamed, Executive Director (Planning), Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur. With a one-month curated programme ranging from talks, exhibits, audio-visual shows, and advanced digital art workshops, it is a chance for the public to be a part of the buzzing local digital arts scene, make new connections, and take home some very useful knowledge. Come and explore IMMERSIO the exciting digital arts and innovations exhibition from 5th – 27th November 2022 (1030am-1030pm) at Muzium Telekom! Details are also available on the related digital and social media accounts of YTM and Filamen. Yayasan TM Facebook – www.facebook.com/yayasantm Yayasan TM Instagram – www.instagram.com/yayasantm Yayasan TM Linkedin – www.linkedin.com/company/yayasantm Filamen Facebook - www.facebook.com/wearefilamen Filamen Instagram - www.instagram.com/wearefilamen
TM and Cisco announce strategic partnership to supercharge Malaysia’s digital agenda
This collaboration is part of Cisco’s Country Digital Acceleration programme and aligns with MYDIGITAL to accelerate Malaysia towards becoming a regional digital leader Malaysia’s national connectivity and digital infrastructure provider, Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM) and worldwide leader in technology, Cisco International Limited, today announced a new strategic partnership as part of Cisco’s Country Digital Acceleration (CDA) programme to supercharge Malaysia’s ambitions to become a technology-driven nation and regional digital leader. Both parties signed two collaboration agreements to pave the way for key projects focused on helping the country develop its 5G innovation platform as well as accelerate technology adoption and transformation for Malaysia’s small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). These initiatives were introduced at a signing ceremony presided over by YB Tan Sri Datuk Seri Panglima TPr Annuar Haji Musa, Minister of Communications and Multimedia; and attended by YBhg. Dato’ Sri Haji Mohammad Mentek, Chief Secretary, Ministry of Communications and Multimedia Malaysia; YBhg. Tan Sri Mohamad Salim Fateh Din, Interim President, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission; Imri Mokhtar, Group Chief Executive Officer, TM; Dave West, President, Cisco Asia Pacific, Japan, and Greater China (APJC); and Hana Raja, Managing Director, Cisco Malaysia. Cisco’s CDA programme is a strategic partnership with governments worldwide to accelerate their national digitalisation agendas and create new value for the country, its businesses, and citizens. The programme taps on the power of private and public partnerships across a variety of sectors, including national infrastructure, education, and smart businesses and communities, to bring digital solutions to national challenges. Digitalisation initiatives that are rolled out are made into replicable solutions to cross-pollinate and contribute to Cisco’s wider CDA ecosystem which is currently present across 44 countries globally. The CDA programme in Malaysia was unveiled as a collaboration framework between Cisco and MyDigital Corporation in May 2022. It is aligned with MyDIGITAL, the government’s Digital Economy Blueprint, aimed at accelerating the growth of Malaysia’s digital economy, with a focus on driving digital transformation in the public sector, building digital infrastructure, and cultivating agile and competent digital talent. TM’s partnership with Cisco focuses on three key pillars: digital transformation in the public sector, specifically education – which will be launched at a later date; digital transformation for service providers, focusing on 5G innovation, and digital transformation for SMEs. The two (2) collaboration agreements signed today were: • 5GaaS Innovation Platform Cisco and TM will build a 5G-as-a-service Centre of Excellence to springboard 5G adoption and develop proof of concepts for enterprises and vertical industries. Supported by Cisco’s full stack of Private 5G Core technologies complete with services and support, the innovation platform will demonstrate 5G enterprise use cases realized on the reference architecture to allow businesses to visualize and implement 5G frameworks and solutions that address unique business challenges. • Accelerating Digital Transformation of SMEs Cisco and TM will drive a joint digital solution seeding programme through a proof of concept for selected SME customers. These solutions will range from the Internet of Things (IoT) to business analytics solutions for SMEs in the retail, education, and manufacturing sectors. Successful deployments will be showcased to broaden adoption within the SME ecosystem. Cisco will also launch a digital talent development initiative focused on introducing digital talent to Application Programming Interfaces (APIS) and training on how to navigate its cloud-based network, Cisco Meraki, as well as other mentoring opportunities and hackathon events. “TM is honoured to be the first company to partner with Cisco in bringing the CDA programme to Malaysia, which has the potential to benefit enterprises, consumers and over 400,000 SMEs. This collaboration builds on TM and Cisco’s 17-year partnership and will be the first of many “Innovation Sandbox” collaborations TM will drive, in our efforts to realise the Digital Malaysia aspiration and 5G objectives for the nation,” said Imri Mokhtar, TM’s Group Chief Executive Officer. "Technology plays a critical role in powering an inclusive future for all. Our CDA programme in Malaysia is focused on turning the country's digital economy blueprint into reality by leading the development of core 5G technologies and infrastructure, accelerating the digital transformation of SMEs, and nurturing a pipeline of next-generation IT talent that will continue to support its national ambitions," said Dave West, President, Cisco Asia Pacific, Japan, and Greater China. "We are thrilled to embark on a new chapter of our collaboration with TM and the Malaysian government through our CDA programme and we're excited about the opportunities ahead."
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