Malaysia Advances Madani Cable Procurement

Bernama, Malay Mail
October 14, 2026

Malaysia's communications regulator is evaluating submissions for the Madani Submarine Cable project, also known as Salam, as the government advances plans for a new domestic connection between Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak. In a written parliamentary reply reported on October 14, the Communications Ministry said the project is expected to begin in the first quarter of 2027 and reach completion in the fourth quarter of 2029. The evaluation follows publication of the project's invitation document by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission, or MCMC.

The planned system is intended to provide high-capacity domestic connectivity with multiple network routes and backup capabilities. The ministry identified stronger communications resilience as a central objective, alongside improved connections between the peninsula and the two states on Borneo. For the submarine cable sector, the emphasis is therefore not simply on adding capacity, but on providing alternative paths and backup arrangements within Malaysia's national network. These features place route diversity and continuity of communications at the centre of the project's stated purpose.

The ministry provided the cable update in response to a parliamentary question about Salam's status in Sabah and the locations covered by the second phase of the National Digital Network Plan, known as Jendela. That separate programme addresses internet coverage through public 4G services, combined 4G and 5G services, or satellite broadband, according to local requirements. Its inclusion in the same reply places the domestic cable plan alongside wider coverage measures, while keeping the submarine system's role in connecting Malaysia's regions distinct from the provision of local wireless access.

MCMC is preparing Jendela 2's first group of 1,000 sites nationwide, including 352 in Sabah, scheduled to begin the following month. Kinabatangan accounts for the largest Sabah allocation, with 106 sites, followed by Pensiangan with 55 and Kota Marudu with 36. The ministry said further coverage would depend on priorities and available funding. For the submarine cable project, the current step remains evaluation of submissions, with the first quarter of 2027 identified as the expected start and the fourth quarter of 2029 as the completion target.

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