Patrick (second left) presenting a memento to Lau while Joachim (centre), and Dexter (right) look on.
KOTA KINABALU (Oct 24): Kim Teck Cheong Consolidated Berhad (KTC) has been appointed as Maxis’ Hotlink distributor in Sabah and Labuan.
Deputy Chief Minister II Datuk Seri Dr Joachim Gunsalam officiated the launch of the KTC Distributor and Hotlink Prepaid Exclusive for Sabah in a ceremony held at the KTC office in Kolombong here Tuesday.
Also present were KTC Managing Director Datuk Lau Kok Sing, his son Datuk Dexter Lau, who is KTC Executive Director, and Patrick Er, Chief Sales and Service Officer, Maxis Berhad.
Congratulating KTC and Maxis’ Hotlink for the partnership, Joachim said he is very confident it will make the Hotlink offerings more easily available to customers, providing people with wider access and reach across Sabah and Labuan.
According to him, the government welcomes and is hopeful that more people can be connected through this partnership.
“I was made to understand that KTC’s appointment is in line with Maxis’ plan to pursue new opportunity in areas across mass market channels and expand into new channels in the region. Under KTC’s distributorship deal, the company is tasked with ensuring the availability of Hotlink SIM packs and products on-ground.
“We all know that KTC is a Main Board-listed corporation with a strong track record of both financial results and business performance and is one of Sabah’s most prominent contributors through their CSR initiatives.
KTC is an established fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) distributor for a range of leading Malaysian and international brands in the region,” he said.
Speaking at a press conference after the launching ceremony, Joachim who is also Local Government and Housing Minister, said his ministry is looking at more investment from Maxis in terms of expanding infrastructure for connectivity in the state.
“We hope to see more investment from Maxis or other telcos invest in the infrastructure so that the connectivity in Sabah can be further in the urban and rural areas.
“I hope this can be done especially in rural areas where there are many schools and we are looking at how Maxis can help us improve the connectivity,” said Joachim adding, “we are also pushing for the government to improve its connectivity through the JENDELA program but we also welcome any private organizations as well all the telco companies to expand their services in the rural areas.”
He acknowledged that profit is important to these business entities and therefore appealed to all the telco companies for the sake of development and the future of the state, to consider reducing the rates of their services.
“Let us move together and in future, I believe all of us will progress and so will the revenue,” he said.
Meanwhile Patrick, when asked to comment on Joachim’s request, explained that Sabah remains one of Maxis’ most invested states in terms of 4G network expansion.
“When we look at network expansion we also look at places like schools and hospitals, as there are areas that we will provide good coverage and they will continue to be some of our focus areas.
“Sabah is critical for us and we will continue to invest in this space. You also notice that 5G coverage is now available in many cities and there are about 100,000 5G subscribers now in Sabah.
“More people can enjoy this speed and hence the new prepaid plan is 4G/5G, is the best of both worlds,” he said.
In his speech earlier, Patrick said that Maxis is confident that its partnership with KTC will make their Hotlink offerings more easily available to customers, providing Maxis with wider access and reach across Sabah and Labuan.
“We are also excited to launch our first ever Hotlink Prepaid Exclusive for Sabah in conjunction with this bold move to welcome KTC as our distributor, bringing users the best and most affordable prepaid pass with unlimited internet and no speed cap,” he said.
As Maxis’ new Hotlink distributor in Sabah and Labuan, KTC distributorship expands Maxis’ presence in Sabah and Labuan, providing wider access and reach to new customers.
Dexter in his speech expressed his enthusiasm about the collaboration, stating, “We are excited to partner with Hotlink, a brand known for its commitment to excellence in mobile service. Through these collaborations, we aim to enhance the lives of Sabahans by making Hotlink products even more accessible and providing them with a superior mobile experience.
KTC Technologies Sdn Bhd is an arm of the company that will be involved in the collaboration with Maxis.
“We have an exclusive team that manages the technology business and KTC is a company that is involved in shipping, manufacturing as well as forwarding among others. This team will handle the dealers and delivery as well as collaborate with the people on the ground,” he said.
Dexter also said that KTC Technologies is committed to increasing Maxis’ business in Sabah by 20 per cent starting next month.
The company has in fact been successful in increasing the business by more than 10 per cent ahead of its target of next month, he disclosed.
“With that increase of 20 per cent business Maxis will be able to invest more in Sabah and this collaboration is one that is win-win for both companies. Maxis’ investment in ensuring affordable connectivity for Sabahans through this new product is welcomed,” he said.
At the event, Maxis unveiled its new Hotlink Prepaid Exclusive for Sabah, a limited time offering with the lowest priced unlimited 4G/5G internet in the state at only RM18/month.
It also comes with no speed cap and unlimited hotspot and calls, providing users with a worry-free mobile experience.