Malaysia’s top five mobile operators have joined forces to create a shared network service. This service is designed to improve online security and protect people from fraud.
CelcomDigi Berhad, Maxis, U Mobile, Telekom Malaysia (TM), and YTL Communications introduced this initiative at the Digital Nation Summit, Kuala Lumpur ASEAN Edition, as part of the GSMA Open Gateway programme.
The operators will give enterprise developers access to the Number Verification API. This service helps verify mobile users in real time and reduces the need for traditional SMS one-time passwords.
The federated model lets developers in areas like banking and online shopping create services that work with all the participating mobile operators. At the same time, each operator keeps control of its own data, rules, and earnings. This technology is expected to provide better protection against scams and identity theft while giving consumers an easier and safer online experience.
Albern Murty, Acting Chief Executive Officer of CelcomDigi, said the collaboration “is a technological milestone that represents how Malaysia’s operators can collectively lead in shaping a trusted and inclusive digital future. It marks a pivotal step towards building a safer, seamless digital ecosystem for businesses and consumers – one that protects Malaysians from scams, inspires confidence in digital services, and fuels innovation across ASEAN.”
Maxis Chief Executive Officer Goh Seow Eng highlighted the company’s early adoption of telco APIs. “As an early supporter of the GSMA Open Gateway initiative, Maxis has been a key driver in the adoption of telco APIs in Malaysia. We have already demonstrated the power of the Number Verification API to combat digital fraud through two key initiatives: our Mobile Identity solution for Malaysian enterprises, and a landmark regional collaboration with operators in Thailand and Singapore. Building on this foundation, we are fully committed to this industry-wide collaboration to accelerate API-driven innovation, creating a more seamless mobile experience and building a more secure digital Malaysia for everyone.”
Neil Tomkinson, Chief Information Officer of U Mobile, stressed the importance of multi-party collaboration. “U Mobile is the nation’s newest 5G network provider, and we are committed to enabling safer digital spaces for all Malaysians to thrive and reap the benefits of next generation technologies. Apart from being the first telco in Malaysia to launch Open Gateway developer portal with two GSMA-certified APIs, today we are proud to also be part of the federated access launch of Number Verification API with industry peers. We believe this latest initiative is key to combating digital scams and fraud, as multi-party engagement, information sharing, as well as strategic policy enforcement will definitely enhance customer experience as well as safety online.”
TM Group Chief Executive Officer, Amar Huzaimi Md Deris, said the partnership reflects the company’s long-term commitment. “TM is firmly committed to this collaboration. With our mobile core network ready, and through close partnership with GSMA and other telcos, we will ensure a seamless and secure experience for enterprises in Malaysia and across our global customer base through federated access. This is a key step in our journey to provide trusted, sovereign and secure digital solutions, protecting businesses and consumers from fraud while powering growth in the digital economy.”
Wing K. Lee, Chief Executive Officer of YTL Communications, linked the collaboration to broader ambitions for Malaysia’s digital transformation. “YTL Communications is proud to collaborate with global industry leaders through the GSMA Open Gateway Programme to combat fraud and redefine customer experience. As a champion of Malaysia’s digital future, we are committed to building a trusted digital economy—from our class-leading AI Cloud infrastructure to pioneering Malaysia’s first sovereign LLM, ILMU, which powers Ryt, our AI-native digital bank. Our participation in the GSMA Open Gateway Programme will accelerate these investments and enable SMEs and enterprises alike to thrive in an inclusive, secure, and innovation-driven digital ecosystem.”
The initiative also won praise from GSMA. Julian Gorman, Head of Asia Pacific at the association, said: “Online scams and fraud are a growing concern for everyone across the ASEAN region and unless tackled properly, could erode public trust in the digital economy. So, we commend this proactive initiative by Malaysia’s leading operators, which is a milestone for the GSMA Open Gateway programme. By providing banks and online commerce sites with standardized, seamless access to the rich mobile functionality available in networks, we can help accelerate the industry’s efforts to tackle online crime.”
The launch in Malaysia is part of the global GSMA Open Gateway programme, which includes over 79 mobile operator groups across 291 networks. This programme covers almost 80% of mobile connections around the world.
The service APIs are provided through CAMARA, an open-source project by the Linux Foundation, which supports and powers this initiative.
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