TM Backs Budget 2027 Digital Push: JENDELA, Sovereign AI Cloud and MSME Grants

Telekom Malaysia Bhd (TM) has welcomed Budget 2027's emphasis on digital infrastructure, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity, arguing the package will help Malaysia compete more strongly in the regional digital economy. Group chief executive officer Datuk Amar Huzaimi Md Deris said expanding connectivity, building sovereign AI cloud capabilities and hardening cybersecurity would lay a firmer foundation for growth.

What TM highlighted

In a statement reported by The Star on 12 October 2026, Huzaimi pointed to several pillars in the budget that matter for both households and businesses. The company singled out better access to digital infrastructure, wider AI adoption, a sovereign AI cloud, stronger cybersecurity and work on post-quantum cryptography as measures that give the digital economy a clearer push.

"Budget 2027 provides strong impetus for Malaysia's digital economy and inclusivity, particularly through its focus on improving access to digital infrastructure, wider AI adoption, sovereign AI cloud, enhanced cybersecurity and post-quantum cryptography," Datuk Amar Huzaimi Md Deris said in a statement.

Connectivity from villages to submarine cables

TM also backed the continued expansion of Jalinan Digital Negara (JENDELA), including efforts to improve connectivity in Orang Asli villages, higher learning institutions and Felda settlements. Separately, the planned MADANI Submarine Cable System (often abbreviated SALAM in industry commentary) is meant to strengthen links between Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak, which would improve capacity and resilience for east-west traffic.

Safer internet use remains part of the story. Huzaimi highlighted Kempen Internet Selamat as important for encouraging safer online participation among Malaysians, an issue that sits alongside infrastructure spending rather than replacing it.

• JENDELA expansion toward rural, Orang Asli, campus and Felda connectivity
• Sovereign AI cloud and broader AI adoption measures
• Cybersecurity and post-quantum cryptography readiness
• SALAM submarine cable to reinforce Peninsular–Sabah–Sarawak links
• Geran Sejahtera Madani as a path for MSME digital adoption

What this means for Malaysian readers

For Malaysian SMEs and freelancers, the practical angle is less about TM's share price and more about whether connectivity, grants and safer online tools actually reach the ground. Better rural and corridor coverage can widen the customer base for e-commerce and remote services. A sovereign AI cloud and MSME grant programmes, if accessible, may lower the cost of trying AI tools without sending every dataset overseas. Cybersecurity and scam-prevention campaigns matter for any firm that takes payments or leads online. Readers should watch how Geran Sejahtera Madani and related digital schemes are applied in practice, and whether JENDELA rollout timelines match the budget narrative.

Source: TM welcomes Budget 2027's push for digital economy — The Star (12 Oct 2026).