999-VOICE SERVICE CONTINUES TO OPERATE, MOBILE APP SERVES AS COMPLEMENTARY CHANNEL - TM

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 20 (Bernama) -- The 999-voice service remains and continues to operate as the primary channel for emergency assistance under the new NG MERS 999 platform, Telekom Malaysia (TM) clarified today.

In a statement, TM said the SaveME999 mobile application, on the other hand, serves as a complementary channel for reaching emergency services.

The company, however, acknowledged that some Malaysians were unable to get through to the 999 hotline and experienced slower emergency response in the early phase of the NG MERS 999 migration, and assured that every incident is being treated with the highest priority.

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“Upon this migration, we saw a surge in call volume immediately. While the previous system averaged around 50,000 calls per day, the new NG MERS 999 received close to 70,000 calls per day.

“About five per cent of the calls were genuine emergencies, with the rest being silent and prank calls. However, the number of actual emergency incidents remained unchanged, ranging at an average of 3,500 emergency reports despatched per day,” it said.

TM clarified that the sudden spike affected system performance, and immediate measures have been taken to restore the service, including increasing server capacity and optimising the servers’ configuration.

“Additional resources were also mobilised in the call centre to cope with the high-volume calls,” it said.

It explained that the previous, 17-year-old MERS999 platform was upgraded as it had reached its technical limits and could no longer support the country’s evolving emergency requirements.

“NG MERS 999 was introduced to enhance accessibility, strengthen multi-agency coordination, and align Malaysia with modern international emergency standards.

TM said it is committed to ensuring better services to the public and has taken a proactive role in working with all five emergency agencies - the Health Ministry, Royal Malaysia Police, Fire and Rescue Department, Civil Defence Force and the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency - to resolve the issues and ensure seamless end-to-end emergency operations.

“Our teams are working around the clock to resolve these matters and to ensure that every Malaysian can get help quickly and reliably, whether through the 999 voice service or the digital channel.

“We appeal to the members of the public to use the 999 service responsibly, as unnecessary or prank calls can prevent the reach of those who are truly in need of real emergencies. Reducing such misuse will greatly enhance the efficiency and responsiveness of the operations,” the statement read.

-- BERNAMA