Kota Kinabalu: Celcom Timur (Sabah) Sdn Bhd aims to expand its fibre optic network to 13,000km across Sabah and the Federal Territory of Labuan by the end of this year, in line with efforts to enhance broadband access for the people of the state.
Group Chief Executive Officer of Qhazanah Sabah Berhad, Datuk Ahmad Rizal Dahli, said the fibre optic network now covers all major cities in Sabah and is currently being expanded to rural areas and residential neighbourhoods.
“As of now, all major cities in Sabah have fibre optic coverage. Our current focus is on expanding coverage to rural areas and improving connectivity in residential areas.
“At present, we have reached approximately 10,000km of fibre optic network, and our target is to reach 13,000km by year-end.
“Last year, we added 3,000km of fibre optic cables, increasing the total length to 10,000km. For our Fibre-to-the-Home (FTTH) service, we have now achieved 150,000 connections,” he said after handing over Celcom Timur Sabah’s business zakat contributions for 2025, amounting to RM1 million, to the Sabah Islamic Religious Council (Muis).
The handover ceremony was witnessed by Head of State, Tun Musa Aman, at Istana Seri Kinabalu, on Monday.
Ahmad Rizal further emphasised the company’s commitment to maintaining its zakat contributions to benefit the people of Sabah, particularly the asnaf (eligible zakat recipients).
“We hope to continue this pattern in the future in line with the growth of Celcom Timur Sabah Sdn Bhd.
“So far, our estimates indicate positive progress in the development of fibre optic infrastructure across the state, and we are determined to sustain this contribution amount moving forward,” he added.
Also present at the event were State Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation, Datuk Dr. Mohd Arifin Mohd Arif; Assistant Minister to the Chief Minister (Religious Affairs), Datuk Ruslan Muharam; Muis Deputy President, Datuk Malai Ali Malai Ahmad; Director of Celcom Timur (Sabah) Sdn Bhd, Assan Nasip; Chief Executive Officer Zurinah Hanafiah; and Muis Chief Executive Officer and Secretary, Ramlan Awang Ali.
