Al-Ishsal Ishak’s term as MCMC chairman ended abruptly, Fadhullah Suhaimi appointed as new chairman

• Re-evaluating current industry structure to ensure long-term sustainability
• Zamzamzairani Mohd Isa appointed as telecommunications advisor to the ministry

The Malaysian Ministry of Communications and Multimedia (KKMM) has announced Dr Fadhlullah Suhaimi Abdul Malek (pic, right) as the new chairman of the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) effective 10 June 2020, for a period of two years.

Fadhlullah Suhaimi replaces Al-Ishsal Ishak, the former group chief executive officer (CEO) of Pos Malaysia was appointed to the role in October 2018 by the previous KKMM Minister, Gobind Singh Deo.

In a press statement, the Minister of Communications and Multimedia Saifuddin Abdullah (main pic) points out that Fadhlullah Suhaimi, the vice chancellor and CEO of Universiti Perdana, was a former member of the MCMC and brings with him 20 years of experience in the telecommunications sector. Fadhlullah joined MCMC in 2017 as a Commissioner and also held the role of Chief Officer Network Security, New Media Monitoring, Compliance and Advocacy before leaving in early 2018.

Saifuddin has also appointed Zamzamzairani Mohd Isa (pic, left) as the telecommunications advisor to the Communications Ministry. Zamzamzairani is the chairman of UEM Sunrise Bhd and was a former group CEO and managing director of Telekom Malaysia Bhd. He has over 30 years of experience in the sector, the minister notes.

The Minister further says that he will be improving MCMC’s policies to adjust to the “New Normal” as a result of the current Covid-19 pandemic. The improvements will cover three main aspects: Infrastructure, 5G readiness, and Governance and institutions.

“There will be accelerated efforts to increase coverage of higher quality broadband access in cities, suburban and rural areas. The ministry will be re-evaluating the current industry structure to ensure long-term sustainability balanced against consumer interests,” he adds.

“As part of preparations for the introduction of 5G in the country, spectrum allocation will also be improved to ensure optimum utilisation,” Saifuddin announced.

To improve governance and transparency, the ministerial powers will be reviewed so that a “check and balance” system is put in place. In the meantime, the role and scope of the MCMC will be reviewed so that it focuses on its core mission and responsibilities. This includes fixing its organisational structure and improving specific areas such as legal, auditing and human resources.