Axiata to boost growth via non-mobile sector

Axiata Group Bhd, a leading telecommunications company in Asia, is looking at various ways of increasing revenue, especially in the non-mobile operations.

"We are looking at areas that can increase revenue, especially content,
entertainment, mobile commerce and mobile payment," said its president and group chief executive officer, Datuk Seri Jamaludin Ibrahim.

He said to achieve the objective, Axiata has planned for a RM4.2 billion
capex for this year.

"It is more or less the same as last year, but the exact amount will be
announced next month," he told a press conference after the launch of the
Axiata Young Talent Programme today.

The event was jointly officiated by Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin
Yassin and Axiata chairman Tan Sri Azman Mokhtar.

On Axiata's key performance index (KPI) for this year, Jamaludin said it,
together with revenue and the company's 2011 financial result, will be
announced at the end of next month. The group revenue for 2010 was RM15.6 billion.

Axiata has a controlling interest in mobile operators in Malaysia,
Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Cambodia, with significant strategic stakes in India and Singapore. In addition, it has a stake in non-mobile telecommunication operations in Thailand.

The group's mobile subsidiaries and associates operate under the brand name
Celcom in Malaysia, XL in Indonesia, Dialog in Sri Lanka, Robi in Bangladesh,
Hello in Cambodia, Idea in India and M1 in Singapore.

On the Axiata Young Talent Programme, Jamaludin said the group is investing
RM100 million over 10 years in it to foster education and talent development in
Malaysia.

He said Axiata is working with its subsidiaries and associates to replicate
the programme and aims to launch it in 2014, starting with Indonesia.

The Axiata Young Talent Programme is also part of the 1Malaysia Programme
targeted at the youth in the hopes of nurturing and developing them to become the future leaders and captains of industry. -- Bernama