Malaysia's Digital Nasional appoints Morten Lundal, Lim Tau Kien as new board members, joining 4 existing ones

• Appointments to further elevate board’s capacity in ensuring corporate governance
• Chosen network equipment provider will roll out 5G by end 2021 in KL, Putrajaya

DIGITAL Nasional Bhd (DNB), a special purpose vehicle wholly owned by the Ministry of Finance to build, own and operate Malaysia’s 5G infrastructure, today announced the appointments of telecommunication veteran Morten Lundal (pic, below) and Lim Tau Kien as its independent non-executive directors effective 14 April and 28 April 2021 respectively.

They will join three other board members: Dr Yusof Ismail, director-general of the Malaysian Administrative Modernisation and Management Planning Unit (MAMPU), Mohamed Sharil Tarmizi, former chairman of the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC); and lawyer Muthanna Abdullah.

Asri Hamidon, chairman of DNB, said, “On behalf of DNB, I am pleased to welcome both Lundal and Lim to the board.

“Their appointments will further elevate the board’s capacity in ensuring the best standards in corporate governance and the combined experience of the professional appointees together with the leadership of DNB's chief executive officer (CEO) Ralph Marshall.”

Asri said that their collective specialisation in regulatory and operating aspects of telecommunication, public finance and general management, and legal is particularly valuable as DNB makes headway in realising its goal to launch the 5G network by the end of the year

“The acceleration of 5G in Malaysia will be a key impetus for economic growth and digital transformation and is critical to enable advanced industry and consumer applications.

“It will create industry competitiveness and attractiveness for investments, with more than 100,000 new job opportunities for all Malaysians,” Asri added.

Morten has over 30 years experience and brings with him extensive global and local telecommunications industry knowledge and insights having held key positions at Telenor ASA in Oslo, Vodafone Group plc in London, and Maxis Bhd and Digi in Malaysia, DNB said.

Lim has over 40 years’ corporate experience, and was the country chief finance officer, country controller and finance director in Shell China before her retirement in 2008. Lim has held several key corporate roles including as a director of listed and non-listed companies since 1997, it said.

DNB was set up in line with the announcement on Malaysia’s digital blueprint, MyDigital, by the prime minister, Muhyiddin Yassin on Feb 19.

It marks a significant step in realising the government of Malaysia’s pioneering vision to build a single nationwide 5G network to accelerate digital growth initiatives aimed at promoting socioeconomic progress and inclusivity for all Malaysians, DNB said.

The proposal request for the provision of the building and maintenance of a nationwide 5G network for Malaysia was issued on April 7 to eight global network equipment providers (NEPs), approved and authorised by DNB’s board of directors.

These NEPs were identified based on DNB’s objective and include clear and established criteria that include their proven 5G network rollout credentials in Asia and internationally and having local presence in Malaysia, DNB said

The selected NEP is expected to be announced in July 2021. Upon its appointment, the NEP will commence work towards the goal of the first rollout of 5G by the end of 2021 in Putrajaya, Cyberjaya and Kuala Lumpur, it said.