Tycoon Vincent Tan will invest more than RM100 million to launch the country's second pay-TV service in October, a spokesman said today.

Tan, who controls the Berjaya Group of companies, would partner several ethnic Malay businessmen to invest in MiTV, which will have more than 80 channels, the spokesman told financial newswire AFX-Asia .

Tan was investing in MiTV in a personal capacity, the spokesman said, adding that there were plans for the station to seek a public listing in two years.

MiTV will compete head-on with wealthy businessman Ananda Krishnan's pay-TV service Astro, which is the only subscriber-based TV service in the country.

Astro has more than 1.20 million customers or a 25 percent penetration of Malaysian television households.

Astro launched its initial public offering last year, raising about two billion ringgit. It hopes to have a subscriber base of 1.80 million by the end of 2005. - AFP