On Wednesday, Communications and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadzil announced the Pakej Perpaduan (Unity Package) which offers cheaper prepaid data for youths, B40, People with Disabilities (OKU), senior citizens and veterans. He added that the data package offers half the price and triple the speed.

Eligible users can get 30GB of data for RM30 and it’s valid for 6 months. That’s equivalent to RM1 per GB but with six times longer validity. While the initiative is aimed at reducing the cost of living, it appears that the Pakej Perpaduan fails to hit the mark and here’s why.

The plan is slower, not 3x faster

During the announcement, it was revealed that Pakej Perpaduan is essentially an upgrade to Pakej Remaja Keluarga Malaysia which was announced by former Communications and Multimedia Minister Tan Sri Annuar Musa in September 2021. It was claimed that the new Pakej Perpaduan offers 3x higher speed with an upgrade from 1Mbps to 3Mbps.

If we look back at the previous announcements, there was no mention of a 1Mbps speed cap at all. When we check the respective Pakej Remaja pages on the big four telcos’ websites, it is listed that the 20GB of data is high-speed with no speed cap or restrictions. This means users will be able to enjoy uncapped speeds subject to the network conditions.

Since Pakej Perpaduan now has a 3Mbps speed cap, the new plan is definitely slower and not faster.

Average users would definitely use more than 5GB per month

Looking at the plan, this is great for casual and light users. With 30GB of data valid for 6 months, that’s an average of 5GB per month for RM5/month. No doubt that the effective monthly commitment is 50% lower than Pakej Remaja but the reality is how many could survive with just 5GB per month?

If we are looking at youths and the B40 segment, most of them rely on their mobile data as their sole internet connectivity. We are talking about users without fixed broadband, and they would use their mobile data both on the go and at home. It’s no wonder Malaysia is one of the highest mobile data users in the world.

According to Opensignal, Malaysia recorded the highest data growth among 5 SEA countries between 2020 to 2021. Most recently, Celcom said its average monthly data consumption per user has increased from 14.9GB in Q1 2020 to 26.2GB in Q3 2022. That’s partly the reason why “unlimited” prepaid plans have gotten so popular these days, especially with the rise of video-based social media platforms such as TikTok. We do know that some users could use more than 300GB per month and that’s one of the reasons why telcos are tightening their FUP for mobile data.

If the core focus is to reduce cost, why not offer 30GB with uncapped speeds for RM15/month instead? After all, most telcos are offering 1GB of data for RM1 or less these days.

The focus should be on improving accessibility to fibre broadband

Reducing prices isn’t sustainable in the long run. What’s the point of having a cheap plan if consumers can’t get decent speeds or access to quality coverage? The government should be looking at improving the overall internet experience and one area that it needs to look at is increasing the adoption of fibre broadband.

According to the last JENDELA report, Malaysia has achieved 7.44 million premises passed by fibre, which is 50% more than before JENDELA was started in August 2020. However, the number of premises passed doesn’t mean these premises or homes are directly connected to fibre.

TM which is the biggest fibre broadband player currently has 2.98 million fixed broadband subscribers as of Q3 2022, and that’s less than half of the total fibre premises passed. We all know that fibre broadband provides significantly better and more reliable internet with compared to mobile data, but why aren’t more people jumping on board?

Could it be most users are staying in rented homes and finding it hard to commit to a 24-month contract? Could it be due to ridiculous termination fees which are just too expensive for B40 folks?

Back in 2021, we reported that several fibre broadband providers have changed their terms and users are forced to pay the entire remaining months of their subscription in full if they were to terminate early. When we asked MCMC about this ridiculous practice, they said consumers are responsible for accepting the T&C. The government should look into these unethical terms and penalties if we want more people to switch to fibre.

Getting fibre broadband might be a costly affair for B40 familes and the government could look into getting providers to introduce a lower no-frills plan with a shorter contract period. One suggestion is a budget RM50-80 monthly unlimited fibre plan with 20Mbps speeds. For greater value, it could be bundled with an unlimited mobile data package similar to Webe’s old Nex.Life offering. The plan came with a shorter 12-month contract and users will get unlimited 30Mbps fibre broadband plus a SIM with unlimited 4G data for RM100/month.

We hope that Fahmi will consider these pointers for his upcoming good news for fixed broadband users.

CelcomDigi is kicking off their month-end promo called Hari Gaji Specials which aims to offer customers value-for-money data deals. For the very first Hari Gaji Specials, both blue and yellow telco will be offering free data on prepaid and 15GB data for RM15 add-on for postpaid customers.

Free 10GB when you reload at least RM30 on prepaid

Celcom Xpax and Digi Prepaid users can get an additional 10GB of data for free when they reload a minimum of RM30 in a single transaction via selected apps and eWallet. For Xpax, you can enjoy this offer when you reload via the Celcom Life app, Celcom website and Boost. For Digi, you can get the free 10GB when you reload via MyDigi app, Digi Store online, Touch ‘n Go eWallet, Boost, Lazada, Shopee and Z City.

Take note that the free 10GB of data is only valid for 3 days.

15GB for RM15 for postpaid

If you’re using Celcom Xpax Postpaid, Celcom Mega and Digi Postpaid, you can purchase an additional 15GB of data, valid for 7 days for RM15. Celcom users can purchase this add-on via the Celcom Life app while Digi users can get it via MyDigi app and the Digi Store online.

This Hari Gaji Specials are available from now until Friday, 20th January 2023. For more info, visit the respective Hari Gaji Specials page on both Celcom and Digi websites.

Related reading

• Celcom and Digi have merged. What does this mean for customers today?
• Fahmi Fadzil, Pakej Perpaduan doesn’t offer 3x speeds for half the price
• iPhone 5G Malaysia: Here’s what you need to enjoy 5G on Celcom, Digi and U Mobile
• Celcom-Digi merger is now complete, forming the largest tech company on Bursa Malaysia

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC)’s application to forfeit approximately RM3.4 million in prepaid credit has been allowed by the Shah Alam Sessions Court. The prepaid credit belonging to 533 Digi customers is believed to have been purchased for unlawful activities.

According to Bernama’s report, Judge Rozilah Salleh allowed the application after the deputy public prosecutor from the MACC Allan Suman Pillai informed the court that the money was the remaining credit in 773 prepaid online accounts registered to 533 customers. It was reported that Digi conducted an internal investigation after customers complained about getting SMS inviting them to participate in online gambling.

Digi says it did not provide a platform for online gambling but the credit in the prepaid cards could have been manipulated for online gambling. It was reported that MACC has also conducted its own investigations and found there were prepaid users with excessive and suspicious credit balances.

In a separate report by The Edge, the excessive credit balance was believed to be used for illegal activities such as illegal gambling and prostitution. Back in November 2020, a total of RM4.25 million in credit was confiscated between 2020 and 2021 from 900 prepaid accounts which had balances of more than RM3,000. Out of the total figure, RM835,639.43 from 127 prepaid accounts belonging to 60 individuals were claimed back from the MACC after four notices were issued to the affected users.

[ SOURCE ]

Related reading

• MCMC terminates 19,765 phone lines for online gambling spam SMS
• Police arrests actors and producers behind viral Hari Raya online gambling ad
• Some iOS games for children are actually secret online casinos
• Facebook still allows scammers to run fake ads targetting Malaysians

CelcomDigi Berhad has announced that all of its 534 branded stores can now serve customers from both Celcom and Digi brands. This provides customers with seamless ease of sales and service transactions at a store nearest to them which includes existing Celcom BlueCube and Digi Stores along with its exclusive partner stores.

At the moment, both Celcom and Digi stores offer 11 types of sales and service transactions to both Celcom and Digi customers which include bill payments, plan changes, SIM card replacements and prepaid reloads. New Postpaid and Prepaid subscribers of both Celcom and Digi can also complete their plan registrations, MNP registrations, or make internet purchases at all the branded touchpoints.

The newly merged telco hopes its existing customers can continue to count on these physical stores for seamless reliable services and experiences that they have enjoyed before. Customers that wish to complete their transactions online are still able to do so on the existing Celcom Life and MyDigi apps. CelcomDigi says it will continue to serve the growing needs of more than 20 million consumers, SMEs and large enterprises nationwide.

In a recent report by The Edge, Axiata revealed that it intends to keep the Celcom and Digi brands in existence as it believed there’s value in keeping both brands. It added that network integration is happening over the next few years and it aims to be completed by 2025.

Related reading

• Axiata wants to retain separate Celcom and Digi brands, network integration to be completed in 2025
• Celcom and Digi have merged. What does this mean for customers today?
• Celcom and Digi extend free 5G access until 30 April, Digi to charge RM10/month for 5G on cheaper plans
• Celcom now offers “unlimited” 5G wireless broadband for RM149/month with no speed cap

There are plenty of prepaid plans with “unlimited” data in Malaysia right now but what if you’re looking for a plan that offers high-speed data with no speed cap? If you want a prepaid plan that lets you download and stream with no silly restrictions, you’ve come to the right place. Here’s our list of the best high-speed prepaid plans in Malaysia as of May 2023.

Why high-speed data instead of “UNLIMITED” plans?

Due to the popularity of Unlimited Plans, it looks like not many telcos are offering high-speed data plans on prepaid these days. U Mobile and Yes 5G no longer have them and we don’t see Celcom promoting any Xpax high-speed data options on their prepaid page.

While it is tempting to go for “unlimited”, most of these plans come with a speed cap such as 3Mbps or 6Mbps and are tied to something called the Fair Usage Policy (FUP). If you need to use a hotspot, these plans usually come with a fixed quota monthly limit and you don’t get full freedom to do whatever you want with your data.

With a high-speed plan, you typically have full control over the data that you subscribe to whether it is on your phone or for hotspot sharing. There are no artificial speed restrictions and you can download or stream as fast as the network in your area allows. As usual, take note that your actual real-world mobile internet performance depends on your telco’s coverage situation in your area.

Yoodo

Yoodo a mobile virtual network operator under Celcom remains one of our favourite telco options if you want cheap data. Besides being a plan that you can customisable at any time, it also offers one of the best costs per GB in the market. 

If you’re a casual user, you can get 20GB for RM20 a month. If you need loads of data, you can even get 200GB of data for only RM98 per month. That’s less than 50 sen per GB. With high-speed plans, you can use the same quota for hotspot usage.

At the moment, you can even enjoy 5G on Yoodo by adding on the 5G Trial Pass which is currently offered for free.

If you need calls, you’ll have to add-on your voice minutes separately. Yoodo charges RM5 for 100 minutes or RM12 for 4000 minutes for voice calls.

Digi

If you’re a casual user, Digi Next 20 at RM20 a month offers 15GB of high-speed data. Digi is also providing an extra 1GB of hotspot data and you can also enjoy 5G with the 5G booster pass, which is offered for free until the end of this month.

Calls are not included and they cost 20 sen per minute. As an added bonus, Digi is offering unlimited social which covers TikTok, Instagram, Twitter and FB. However, take note that Unlimited Social has a speed cap of 3Mbps, which is more than good enough to consume social videos.


If 15GB is not enough, you can step up to Digi Next 35 which cost RM35/month. It comes with 30GB of data plus an extra 3GB of hotspot quota. You can also enjoy 5G with the 5G Booster and the plan comes with unlimited calls to all networks. Similar to Next 20, Digi also offers unlimited social on Next 35.

Hotlink

Over at Maxis, its Hotlink Pantas prepaid has some interesting offers as well. For lite users, there’s Hotlink Pantas RM25 which comes with 15GB of data and it comes with unlimited calls to all networks. 

If you need more data, for an extra RM10 you can consider Hotlink Pantas RM35. It comes with 30GB of data and unlimited calls. For a limited time, Hotlink is throwing in extra 20GB Bonus data which you can redeem up to 5 times during the promo period.

For those who travel a lot between our neighbouring ASEAN countries, the new Hotlink Pantas RM45 option could be the plan for you. For RM45/month, you are getting 40GB of data which you can also use in Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia. Also included are unlimited calls to all networks, and obviously when you’re in Malaysia.

Unifi Mobile

Last but not least is Unifi Mobile. Besides the RM35 unlimited 5G plan, Unifi has a RM25 option which offers 30GB of data for both 4G and 5G, as well as hotspot usage. However, there are no unlimited calls and Unifi charges 20 sen per minute for voice calls.

Recommendation

So which plan should you get?

If you’re a casual and light user who doesn’t really make phone calls, Yoodo still offers the best value right now. Starting from RM20 for 20GB with access to 5G, this plan is still great value and you can get even cheaper data if you customise further to 100GB or 200GB. Another good perk is that Yoodo is so easy to sign up and you can activate it immediately via eSIM. 

If you need about 30GB of data per month, Digi Next 35 and Hotlink Pantas RM35 are pretty much the best sweet spot options. For RM35 a month, both offer 30GB of high-speed data and unlimited calls. The only difference is that Digi offers unlimited social while Hotlink is currently offering 20GB bonus data which is also pretty enticing. 

And another advantage that Digi has is 5G but you would probably need to pay extra once the free 5G booster offer is over. 

For those who travel often to Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia, Hotlink Pantas RM45 is pretty much an unbeatable prepaid option. RM45 gets you 40GB of high-speed data that you can use in four countries and you can also get unlimited calls within Malaysia.

As announced earlier, the free 5G Booster passes for Celcom and Digi customers have finally come to an end on 31st May 2023. If you’re on a Celcom or Digi prepaid plan, you are now required to purchase a 5G Booster Pass in order to access Digital Nasional Berhad’s 5G network. As an introductory offer, CelcomDigi is offering a 50% extra data promo for a limited time.

If you’re a Celcom Xpax Prepaid user, here’s the pricing for the 5G booster passes along with the 50% extra data promo:

• 1 Day 3GB 4.5GB – RM3
• 1 Day 10GB 15GB – RM6
• 7 Days 20GB 30GB – RM12

If you’re on Digi Prepaid, here’s the pricing for the 5G Booster which also comes with a 50% extra quota offer:

• 1 Day 2GB 3GB – RM3
• 1 Day 5GB 7.5GB – RM6
• 7 Days 10GB 15GB – RM12

Unfortunately, unlike the postpaid offering, there’s no monthly option for the 5G Booster on prepaid. If you need to access 5G for a month, that means you’ll have to activate the 7-day pass weekly which costs RM12 per week.

On top of that, the 5G booster for prepaid has a speed cap of up to 100Mbps, which is the minimum speed promised by DNB at the cell edge. According to the FAQ on both Celcom and Digi, the allocated data quota from the Booster is usable for both 4G and 5G coverage areas. If you’ve depleted the 5G booster quota, you can still enjoy access to 5G as long as the pass is still active. Even if your current prepaid plan offers unlimited data with a speed cap, you are able to enjoy faster speeds up to 100Mbps but only if you still have data quota remaining from your 5G booster pass.

Take note that the 50% extra data offer for the 5G Booster is available until the 30th September 2023.

For more info, you can check out the 5G pages for both Celcom and Digi.

Related reading

• CelcomDigi continues to offer free 5G access on postpaid, new 5G Booster plan with 30GB data from RM10/month
• Malaysia’s 5G adoption rate remains low at 3.1% despite DNB having 59.5% 5G population coverage
• CelcomDigi users to experience wider 98% population coverage and faster speeds after network integration
• CelcomDigi customers can continue to enjoy 5G access following termination of DNB equity deal

If you want to enjoy 5G on Digi prepaid without paying extra for 5G booster, Digi has introduced its new Digi Prepaid Next 5G 48 which offers 5G high-speed data and unlimited calls for RM48/month. This appears to be a nice step up from Digi Next 45 which offers 40GB for RM45/month.

The Digi Prepaid Next 5G 48 at RM48/month comes with 45GB of data (30GB + 15GB extra quota promo) which you can use for both 4G and 5G. Also included are unlimited calls to all networks as well as unlimited social data for Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

The 45GB quota can’t be used for hotspot usage but the plan does come with 10GB of hotspot during the promo period. Interestingly, there’s also a limited-time offer where you can get an additional 5GB of high-speed data if you sign up for the plan at a Digi store. The Unlimited Social is granted if you enable auto-renewal.

According to the fine print on the FAQ, it is mentioned that the promo period is until 2nd October 2023. Take note that the 5G data is speed capped at 100Mbps while the unlimited social data has a speed cap of 3Mbps.

For more info, visit the Digi Prepaid Next 5G promo page.

Related reading

• Celcom’s new Xpax Prepaid 5G offers 35GB 5G data and unlimited 3Mbps data for RM48/month
• CelcomDigi embarks on major network upgrade and integration with Huawei and ZTE
• CelcomDigi: All retail stores are now open daily including public holidays
• CelcomDigi Fibre now offers 300Mbps with same-day installation for RM90/month in Sabah

As part of this month’s Hari Gaji Specials, CelcomDigi is offering its prepaid customers a 5G Booster add-on with an extra 30GB of data for free. On top of that, they are also doubling its data quota for its 5G booster packs for a limited time only.

Take note that this Free 5G Booster + Extra 30GB data is only valid for 7 days and you can activate it during the four-day Hari Gaji Specials which is running from 24th to 27th October. The offer is applicable to Xpax Unlimited 38 prepaid plan or above, as well as Digi Next 35 Prepaid.

How to redeem free 5G Booster for Xpax Prepaid and Digi Prepaid?

To redeem this offer, you’ll have to do it via Boost. Just launch the Boost eWallet app, tap on Prepaid and then select Buy Data Package. From there, you can pick the eligible Digi or Celcom Xpax plan.

Double 5G Booster Data

CelcomDigi is also doubling its 5G Booster data quota with up to 40GB per week. On Digi, they are offering 4GB for RM3/day and 10GB for RM6/day. Meanwhile, they are also offering 20GB of 5G Booster data for RM12, valid for 7 days.

Celcom is more generous when it comes to their 5G Booster quota on Xpax prepaid. They offer 6GB for RM3/day and 20GB for RM6/day. Meanwhile, the weekly quota is double that of Digi with 40GB 5G booster going for RM12, which is also valid for 7 days.

You can learn more on the respective Digi and Xpax pages.

Post-merger, CelcomDigi is still separating its Digi and Xpax prepaid plans as the company has yet to share its plans for its prepaid customers after completing the merger between the two networks. This is not stopping the company to introduce a new unlimited prepaid plans that are affordable and easy to own, with some caveats for 5G connectivity.

Digi Prepaid NEXT 25 plan

Under the Digi branding, the new prepaid plan is called Digi Prepaid NEXT25. Priced at only RM 25, customers will be able to enjoy 20GB of high-speed internet for 30 days, as well as unlimited calls on the Digi network.

Additionally, those who subscribe to auto-renewal monthly will get unlimited social media network access on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and X while receiving an extra 1GB of data for hotspots.

Xpax Prepaid Unlimited 25

Like the Digi plan, the Xpax plan gives users high speed internet for 30 days, but in this case only 15GB. It also gives unlimited calls on the Celcom network. On the other hand, the Xpax plan also comes with a 1Mbps unlimited data plan, with a 60GB FUP, when reached will throttle the speed down to 64Kbps.

Savings with prepaid 5G plans

For those looking to save some money, the current subscribers to the Celcom XPAX Prepaid 5G (75GB of 5G/4G Internet and unlimited Internet at 3Mbps) and Digi Prepaid NEXT 5G (85GB of 5G/4G Internet and unlimited calls) will enjoy a limited time offer of RM8 cashback with an additional 88GB hotspot data quota with their subscription.

5G booster packs for prepaid users

Customers of both Digi Prepaid and Celcom XPAX Prepaid can activate their 5G connectivity when they subscribe to the enhance 5G Booster packs, with supported devices of course. The 5G booster comes with additional 5G/4G quota per booster, and will offer up to 100Mbps of speed over the air.

The 5G Booster pack prices are as follows:

Additional benefits for Postpaid and Prepaid users

Not only CelcomDigi is offering benefits for prepaid customers, it is also offering something special for postpaid users. CelcomDigi customers can access high-speed video streaming on platforms like Netflix, YouTube, AstroGo, Viu, and iQIYI for only RM6. The pass is valid for 4-days, and comes with a 300GB all-day usage limit.

The new video pass can be purchased via the Celcom Life app or MyDigi app.

For more information, you can check out Celcomdigi’s Welcome 2024 page here or here.

For a limited time, CelcomDigi is offering its prepaid customers free 100GB of high-speed data and all they need to do is to perform a RM30 reload. This limited-time offer is available from 22nd September (10:00am) until 24th September 2024 (11:59pm).

How to redeem free 100GB from CelcomDigi

To unlock the free 100GB data, all you’ll have to do is perform a minimum reload of RM30 on your prepaid account during the campaign period.

You can reload your CelcomDigi prepaid via all channels which include the following:

• Celcom Life App   
• Celcom Life Hub
• eCommerce Platforms or e-Wallets (TNG eWallet, Boost and ZCity)   
• Self-Service CelcomDigi Kiosks  
• MyDigi App 
• CelcomDigi website. 
• Bank ATMs and Online Banking 

Take note that the free 100GB high-speed data will only be valid for 3 days from the point of redemption. Any unused quota will be forfeited upon expiry. In case you’re wondering, the free 100GB data can be utilised for hotspot usage.

If you’re not a CelcomDigi customers, you can sign up for CelcomDigi prepaid 5G Edisi Biru and CelcomDigi Prepaid 5G Edisi Kuning at any CelcomDigi store, Celcom Bluecube, Digi Stores and authorised dealers and partners.

For more info, visit CelcomDigi’s Free 100GB promo page.