'Harapan wouldn't accept MCMC answer on U Mobile if it was in opposition'

Former Bangi MP Ong Kian Ming has drubbed the Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission’s (MCMC) explanation of why U Mobile was picked as the country’s second 5G network operator.

This is after MCMC released an FAQ, which did not answer questions on why U Mobile’s bid was better than that of its competitors.

“If Harapan was still in the opposition, quite likely an explanation like this wouldn’t have been received well by Harapan MPs,” he said in a post on X today, without elaborating further.

In the FAQ and statement released yesterday evening, MCMC said that U Mobile was chosen based on several factors such as its business and technical plans, record on rates of complaints and customer satisfaction, and their performance in other infrastructure initiatives.

This includes encouraging contributions to the 4G upgrade programme, and Jendela Phase 1.

However, it did not specify how U Mobile’s past performance or 5G network plan was better than those proposed by competitors.

Maxis - one of the companies bidding for the deal - said it would seek an explanation from MCMC on the matter.

Other questions are also being raised on whether U Mobile’s shareholders were a factor in the decision.

The company’s largest shareholder is Singapore’s Temasek-linked Straits Mobile Investments Pte Ltd with a 48.3 percent stake.

In addition, the company’s second-largest shareholder is Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar - the current Yang di-Pertuan Agong - who has a 22.3 percent stake in the company.

U Mobile has said it would divest its foreign ownership and bring it down to 20 percent.

When grilled on this today, Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil responded that neither he nor his deputy were involved and that MCMC had made the decision independently.

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