Mobile Number Portability (MNP)

Energy, Water and Communications Minister Datuk Seri Dr Lim Keng Yaik has SHOT DOWN (thought it was sensitive to use this 2 words lately) any suggestion of a tender to appoint a central clearing house operator, a lucrative job, for the implementation of Mobile Number Portability (MNP).

“There will be no tender. There will be only one company,” he told reporters after delivering the keynote address at the seminar. Lim did not identify the company but when asked, he said: “Wait.” Dr Lim had said one company, Talian Gerak Alih Sdn Bhd, had presented its plans to him and that he was impressed with it because of its US-based technology partner, Telcordia Technologies Inc.

A clearing house operator is required to manage the database of all mobile subscribers and re-route all calls and data traffic for a fee that will charged to the telcos up to a rate of RM0.001 per re-routing.

BUT WHY NO TENDER? Talian Gerak Alih Sdn Bhd is reportedly owned by Sinar Aturan Sdn Bhd, which in turn is 70% owned by Tuanku Syed Faizuddin Putra Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Putra Jamalullail (the son of the current King of Malaysia). A La Trobe University, Australia graduate too.

FYI, Singapore has it since 1997.
Tags: Mobile Number Portability, MNP, Clearing House Operator, Mobile Subscriber, Data Traffic, Technology