Team size: 50

What are the most significant cases or transactions that your legal team has recently been involved in?

Joint Venture Transaction was signed in 2024 and completed in 2025 for our 200MW data center development in the state of Johor, in Malaysia. This is a joint venture with Singtel Nxera based in Singapore. The joint venture will be implemented through a joint-venture company, which is jointly managed and operated between Telekom Malaysia and Singtel Nxera. On the board of the JV Company, 2 directors appointed by Telekom Malaysia and 2 directors appointed by Singtel Nxera represent each party’s interests. I currently sit on the board of the JV Company, together with my Group CFO, to represent Telekom Malaysia.

A second 5G wholesale supplier was announced by the government in 2025, in line with the government’s move from a Single Wholesale Network structure to a Dual Wholesale Network structure for Malaysia. The second and new wholesale network supplier is U Mobile. Telekom Malaysia was appointed by U Mobile as its key fibre backhaul partner via a 10 year agreement valued at RM2.4 billion. We are also the existing fibre backhaul partner for the existing wholesale supplier, Digital Nasional Berhad.

Telekom Malaysia has a business process outsourcing (BPO) business, whereby TM provides call center facilities and services to its corporate customers. One of these business entities is located in Indonesia. In September 2025, Telekom Malaysia partnered with Scicom Berhad to implement AI-driven technologies, including conversational bots, predictive analysis and intelligent routing to elevate customer experience to a higher level for its BPO business. One of the most challenging aspects of the partnership agreement was to structure a measuring mechanism as to how successful the AI bot will be in providing the desired outcome to the business.

What do you see as an opportunity or risk over the next six months?

In terms of opportunities, we are currently undergoing an ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) system transformation. We are taking this opportunity to take our current Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM) system to the next level where it will be an end-to-end solution involving finance, HR, supply chain and sales/business functions. Such opportunity will include the inclusion of legal AI tools and agents such reviewing & drafting and risk assessment functionalities that will further enhance our CLM platform and create other legal platforms as well. If such legal digital solution platforms work for the legal & compliance team, working seamlessly together with other functions in the organization, such legal digital solutions can be marketed by our TM One business unit to other enterprise/corporate customers whose legal, compliance, risk and governance, finance and supply chain teams face similar problem statements in their everyday functions. From a cost center, we aspire to be a revenue generating function for the organization.

Although Global AI Governance & Regulatory Development: is seen as a risk, it can also be an opportunity. Telekom Malaysia (TM) has monetized a number of AI used cases and continues to research and develop AI solutions for various industries, as part of its own product and services offerings to customers. TM has its own AI Center of Excellence, which comprises its TM R&D entity and also the first in Malaysia University AI Engineering & Development Faculty under its wholly owned Multi-Media University, housed at 2 campus premises in Melaka and Cyberjaya. With the AI governance & regulatory area developing rapidly in the different jurisdictions throughout the world, TM’s Legal & Compliance team needs to ensure that TM’s own Ai products and services are robust and safe enough to pass the tests of these fast evolving governance & regulatory regimes, to remain competitive in the market. So this is an opportunity for the legal team to develop new skills and specialize in an area which is fast evolving, and be part of AI offerings in the market that can be well known not just for its innovation, but for its safety and ethical values as well.

In terms of risks, we have seen certain countries trying to protect and circumvent the flow of high technologies from flowing into other countries that it considers its political and/or business rivals, through sanctions and tariffs. Such restrictions not only affect the targeted countries/jurisdictions but also countries involved in developing or enabling the development of high technologies including AI related digital solutions, like Malaysia and specifically TM’s businesses. Hence TM’s legal and compliance team has to analyze and think of ways to ensure compliance with and/or circumvent these global reaching restrictions to enable TM’s own business to remain competitive and remain reputationally sound and intact. One of these areas if the concept of data sovereignty.

The development of sustainability agenda and initiatives into a mandatory compliance requirement for businesses is being seen to be rapidly evolving. The risk is therefore to ensure that TM’s business evolves with such development and complies with up and coming mandatory requirements, especially from a regulatory requirement as a public listed entity. The additional challenge is that TM views sustainability not just as a regulatory compliance requirement but wants to embed it as a culture in our business. Therefore, the legal and compliance team, together with other relevant functions, needs to think how we can embed such culture in the organization using the everyday tools that are used by the businesses and support functions. It is a journey but we believe it will be a worthwhile journey to embark on.

What leadership qualities do you prioritise when building or developing your legal team?

There are a number of leadership qualities I prioritise in my team. In an organization as old as TM (turning 80 years this year), there are a lot of legacy processes and procedures, templates and precedence and culture/way of thinking. Some of these need to change to evolve with the company’s business goals, to be more efficient and to explore new ways of working. Most of the time, a majority will feel that it is not worth the change as it has been working for a long time. Hence, someone who propagates change for the better will most of the time find him/herself in the minority (or have the perception of such). Therefore, one has to be brave to not just call out the change but to see it through.

Any legal assessment/analysis/solution/advice needs to relate to the business. Even if it is not that obvious at first, one needs to think deeper to connect the dots to the business. Only then will the value of the legal work be clearly seen by the internal clients.

Communication is key. Most lawyers tend to ramble in a long winded way on the legal analysis and tend to forget to answer the question or convey the key messaging. A good leader must be able to articulate the issue clearly and concisely, and provide the answer/advice/recommendation upfront and with clear justification and reasoning. This applies to both written and oral communication. Such clear communication will be able to influence the decision/outcome that is desired.

What do you find most rewarding about working as an in-house lawyer?

Being able to be close to the business and see the matter through to its conclusion. Seeing the final outcome and knowing that I had a hand/say in realizing the outcome is very rewarding. As an external lawyer, sometimes you are not able to see the final outcome as it may be confidential or not obvious in the public’s eyes.

Participating in decision making, especially when it requires taking many other considerations into account, other than legal considerations, such as business/commercial, reputational risks and geopolitical matters. Sometimes, as an in-house lawyer, I am also asked by the business head or CEO whether I think that it is a good business decision for the company. This indicates the amount of trust that other leaders place on you in coming up with difficult decisions.

Being able to be present at design and inception stages of new product and services, so that an in-house lawyer can understand the legal risks and challenges involved very early on and therefore be in a better position to advise on the required legal mitigation actions and steps that can be introduced and implemented.

The opportunity to partake in the career and human development of non-legal personnel from other functions and discipline, for example, being a mentor to executives from finance, sales/marketing and supply chain functions. By being a mentor, this provides me with a chance to share my experience in my career development relating to legal and non-legal learnings that can help shape the development of young executives in the organization.

Being able to sharpen my commercial and business skills by participating in commercial and business related committees involved in decision making such as supply chain and best business practices committees.

General counsel often speak of the need to be strategic to reach the pinnacle of the profession. What does being strategic mean to you?

Thinking of more of HOW to get to and achieve the outcome, with different permutations. Thinking a few steps ahead and anticipating what may happen and applying considerations and action plans/mitigating steps from a legal and non-legal perspective (such as commercial, political etc).

Looking at the bigger picture from a helicopter perspective and applying different perspectives to address the issue, which includes non-legal perspectives;

Applying logical considerations and outcomes from a non-legal angle, and applying both legal and non-legal analysis and considerations. These should relate back to the business aspirations and plans of the organisation, with a bonus if you can relate it to the profit & loss of the business.

What do you think are the most important attributes for a modern in-house counsel to possess?

The ability to identify and use available recent technology to achieve the desired outcome in the fastest and most efficient way, and being brave enough to try out new things/ideas and make mistakes are two things I would mention.

Having good communication skills, both written and oral, with an emphasis on short, simple and precise messages which avoid complication and long windedness.

Finally, having a genuine curiosity about the business can take an in-house counsel to the next level.