Bintulu Named Madani Cable Landing Point

Jude Toyat, The Borneo Post
October 15, 2026

Malaysia has identified Bintulu as one of three planned landing locations in Sarawak for the Madani Submarine Cable project, also known as Salam. The October 15 announcement by Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil adds a named site to plans for a domestic system intended to improve digital connectivity and support development around Bintulu Port. The project is expected to have 10 landing points nationally: three in Sarawak, five in Sabah and two in Peninsular Malaysia. The other Sarawak locations have not been settled.

Fahmi said Bintulu was considered important because of its relationship to the port and nearby development. Buntal and Matu are among the locations being considered for the two remaining Sarawak sites, while their assessment continues. Salam is intended to complement the existing Sistem Kabel Rakyat 1Malaysia by adding capacity and connectivity choices. In Sabah, the planned route is expected to provide submarine cable connections along the coast between Kota Kinabalu and Tawau, using multiple landing locations to reach more communities.

The October 15 identification of Bintulu is a geographic planning milestone, distinct from the October 14 procurement-status report. That earlier parliamentary update concerned the project’s procurement process and expected timetable; the October 15 coverage added a specific Sarawak landing point while noting that other locations remain under review. MCMC was evaluating submissions following the project’s invitation documents, according to the reported procurement status. The named Bintulu site therefore does not mean that all Sarawak locations have been finalized or that procurement is complete.

The government expects work on Salam to start toward the end of 2026 or early in 2027, with construction estimated to take two to three years. The October 14 parliamentary reply cited a more specific forecast of a first-quarter 2027 start and completion in the fourth quarter of 2029. The Communications Ministry and MCMC are to work with Sarawak’s Ministry of Utility and Telecommunication on telecommunications infrastructure. Further details about the remaining proposed Sarawak landing points are expected after the sites have been assessed.

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