
In April 2021, Yayasan TM (YTM) identified ICDL as its key digital skills certification programme to spearhead a new education initiative that equips YTM scholars with digital skills of the future economy. To date, more than 175 YTM’s scholars in Malaysia have benefitted from this ICDL programme in just the first 7 months of implementation.
YTM, the foundation arm of the largest telecommunication company in Malaysia, Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM), has been actively involved in the nation’s educational landscape. Since its formation in 1994, more than 16,000 students received scholarships and financial assistance of over RM 568 million.

As part of this digital transformation initiative, YTM has collaborated with two ICDL Accredited Test Centres (ATCs), INTEC Education College and MMU Cnergy, to sponsor its scholars and deliver ICDL modules under the Future Leaders Scholarship Programme.

Malaysia’s Digital Transformation:
Embracing the New Normal
The challenges and disruptions brought upon by the global COVID-19 pandemic have been unprecedented. Schools were forced to close during lockdowns, and higher education institutions had to innovate and adapt rapidly to new modes of digital learning. While it has been a challenging year, the pandemic may have been a key catalyst of accelerating digital transformation in Malaysia. In the education sector, we have witnessed students and educators embracing new digital technologies and modes of learning as the new normal.
As an education accelerator for Malaysian students, YTM is committed to developing future digital leaders that can help drive Malaysia’s digital economy and Industrial Revolution 4.0. As more SMEs and organisations are digitalising their businesses, the need to upskill Malaysian students and ensure everyone has access to learning opportunities and digital tools has never been more important.
YTM first embarked on this project with ICDL in April 2021 when it kickstarted its sponsorship of 25 YTM scholars from various IHLs (public and private) and was administered by INTEC Education College in Malaysia. To equip this pilot batch of final year students with critical digital skills for greater employability and productivity, ICDL tailored a programme comprising 8 ICDL modules: Documents, Presentation, Spreadsheets, Online Collaboration, Digital Marketing, Data Analytics, Project Planning and Big Data.
In May 2021, YTM expanded its sponsorship to its scholars at the Multimedia University (MMU) and the ICDL programme is delivered through MMU’s subsidiary and ICDL Accredited Test Centre, MMU Cnergy.
After witnessing success and positive responses from the first two batches of scholars, YTM announced in September 2021 that all YTM scholars shall complete the 8 ICDL modules as part of their Future Leaders Scholarship Programme.
Through this digital transformation initiative, YTM aims to nurture a generation of young digital leaders equipped with great employability skills. YTM aspires to help all its scholars to develop key digital skills as they pursue great academic excellence in various fields. As of October 2021, YTM has sponsored and benefitted a total of 175 scholars across 7 cohorts in Malaysia. At ICDL Asia, we will continue to work with YTM, INTEC College and MMU Cnergy to uplift the digital competency of students in Malaysia. We also urge fellow school partners and industry leaders of the public and private sector to join us in our commitment to accelerate the growth and transformation of Malaysia’s digital economy.
