Malaysia’s leading mobile operators, including CelcomDigi Berhad, Maxis, U Mobile, Telekom Malaysia (TM), and YTL Communications, announced plans to launch a federated network service aimed at combatting fraud and digital identity theft through the GSMA Open Gateway initiative.
During the Digital Nation Summit, Kuala Lumpur ASEAN Edition, they shared their strategy to provide enterprise developers with access to the Number Verification API. This service will enable interoperability across operators while allowing them to maintain control over their data and revenue.
The collaboration focuses on rolling out API-enabled services, with the Number Verification API helping to verify customer mobile numbers, enhancing authentication, and improving user experience. This innovation serves as a secure alternative to SMS OTPs, protecting users against digital scams while ensuring a seamless experience.
Albern Murty, CelcomDigi’s Acting CEO, said: “This 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. We are pleased to join forces with industry peers in pioneering secure, API-driven solutions that strengthen trust and open new pathways for the region’s digital economy to grow.”
Goh Seow Eng, Chief Executive Officer of Maxis, said: “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, said: “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.”
Amar Huzaimi Md Deris, TM Group Chief Executive Officer, said: “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, said: “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.”
Julian Gorman, Head of Asia Pacific, GSMA, 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 Malaysian initiative is part of the global GSMA Open Gateway programme, which includes over 79 mobile operator groups representing 291 networks and about 80% of mobile connections worldwide. This initiative helps operators worldwide create digital products that work smoothly on all devices, no matter the country or operator. The service APIs can be accessed through the CAMARA repository, an open-source project by the Linux Foundation, which is essential to the GSMA Open Gateway initiative.