Last week, we reported news coverage by an international source about the delay of the dual 5G network agreement. Long story short, the next phase seems to be in a status quo as there is a growing mistrust between government officials and telco executives. However, Digital Nasional Berhad (DNB) stated that there are several misleading claims.
According to DNB, the company denied the allegations and rejected the insinuation of any impropriety in its governance and procurement practices. One such example is its transparency operations and awarding contracts to third-party vendors, such as Ericsson’s 5G network equipment, software procurement and "a potentially lucrative cloud services platform".
DNB argued that its tender and procurement processes are structured according to the strictest governance standards and best practices. The company has always been open and transparent in its awarding of tenders and contracts. Furthermore, the awarding of the 5G network equipment contract involved a rigorous evaluation process and the tender process was structured by an independent global professional services firm.
Then regarding the Share Subscription Agreements (SSA) signed with the 5 Mobile Network Operators (MNOs), the process is still ongoing. DNB also strongly denied the claims but cannot comment in specific terms due to confidentiality restrictions. The process also has been reviewed by multiple parties, including during reviews of the 5G network policy by the Malaysian Cabinet in 2022 and 2023.
With that, DNB urged for published reports to be verified and based on accurate information. We shall continue to wait for the news about the dual 5G network and its future status.
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