Servers and network cables in a rack
Servers and network cabling photographed on Feb. 2, 2011. File photo illustrating network infrastructure; location unspecified. It does not depict SALAM equipment or a JENDELA site. Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Servers_in_a_Rack.jpg License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/ Resized for publication. Abigor / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0

Malaysia expects work on the MADANI Submarine Cable, known as SALAM, to begin in the first quarter of 2027 and finish in the fourth quarter of 2029, as the government develops new connections between Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak.

The Communications Ministry gave the timetable in a written parliamentary reply to Putatan MP Shahelmey Yahya on Oct. 14, according to Bernama. The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission is still evaluating project proposals.

The ministry said the project is intended to provide greater capacity and resilience, including diverse routes and backup connectivity. The dates remain expected milestones, rather than confirmation that construction has begun or that the network is already available.

In the same reply, the ministry said the first group of JENDELA 2 projects was expected to start in November 2026. It involves 1,000 sites nationwide, including 352 in Sabah, using 4G or combined 4G and 5G with satellite connectivity according to local requirements.

Backbone Links And Local Access

SALAM and the mobile-site programme serve different layers of communications. A cable links regional networks across the sea, while a mobile site provides the radio access through which local users connect. Counting a cable project and a mobile tower as equivalent additions would obscure what each is designed to deliver.

Sabah's 352 planned sites represent 35.2% of the 1,000-site first group, a calculation based on the published totals. That is a share of planned infrastructure locations. It is not a forecast of population coverage, an estimate of new subscribers or evidence that all the sites have been completed.

The combination of radio and satellite technologies also means that the design can vary between locations. A national rollout total does not establish the speeds, capacity or service conditions that will be available to a particular household.

The Budget Context

The Budget 2027 speech, delivered on Oct. 9, places SALAM alongside the continuing JENDELA programme. It describes a total RM5 billion investment in JENDELA and sets priorities for extending connectivity to Orang Asli villages, roads and railway corridors in 2027.

The speech identifies internet access along 7,000 kilometres of roads and 1,700 kilometres of railway among those priorities. These are corridor targets in the budget statement, separate from the number of mobile sites in the Oct. 14 reply. Neither metric can substitute for a measurement of completed coverage.

The parliamentary timetable gives a more specific implementation window for SALAM within that broader policy programme. Evaluation of proposals is an earlier stage than network deployment, with construction and commissioning still required before the cable can support live traffic.

What Businesses And Communities Will Watch

Malaysia Internet Exchange chairman Chiew Kok Hin welcomed both JENDELA and SALAM in a budget response reported by Bernama on Oct. 11. He emphasised reliable, affordable and secure connections as a foundation for digital services and businesses beyond major urban centres.

Chiew also said peak traffic at MyIX had risen nearly 10,000-fold since 2006. The exchange's traffic measure concerns activity on its network; it is not a nationwide measure of household broadband speed or a direct capacity specification for SALAM.

For users, the practical test will be whether the infrastructure improves service at the places where they live and work. Published milestones, completed sites, network availability and service performance answer different questions. Tracking them separately will make it easier to assess progress as the projects move from planned coverage to functioning connections.

The next developments to watch are the outcome of SALAM's proposal evaluation and the start of the JENDELA 2 first-group rollout. The new dates provide a framework for that scrutiny, while the 2029 cable completion target shows that the backbone project is a multi-year undertaking.