Telekom Malaysia has acknowledged that some Malaysians experienced difficulties reaching the 999 emergency hotline and faced slower response times during the early phase of the nationwide migration to the Next Generation MERS 999 (NG MERS 999) system.
The company said it understands public concern over the disruptions, stressing that every incident is being treated “with the highest level of priority.”
Malaysia moved away from its 17-year-old MERS999 platform after it reached its technical limits and could no longer support the country’s expanding emergency needs. The upgraded NG MERS 999 system is intended to improve accessibility, enhance coordination among emergency agencies, and bring the national emergency network in line with international standards.
According to TM, the transition triggered an immediate and significant jump in call volume. While the legacy system received an average of 50,000 calls daily, NG MERS 999 saw close to 70,000 calls per day after going live. Only about 5% of these were genuine emergencies, with the majority consisting of silent or prank calls. Despite the surge, the number of real emergency incidents remained stable at about 3,500 dispatches per day.
The unexpected spike strained system performance, contributing to the connectivity issues reported by the public. TM said it has since ramped up server capacity, optimised system configurations, and deployed additional call centre staff to handle the high volume.
The company stressed that the traditional 999 voice service remains fully operational and continues to serve as the country’s primary emergency access point. The SaveME999 mobile app is offered as a supplementary digital channel.
TM also directed users to the official FAQ on the 999.gov.my portal for guidance on app installation and registration.
TM said it is working closely with all five emergency agencies — the Ministry of Health, Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM), Fire and Rescue Department (BOMBA), Civil Defence Force (APM), and the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (APMM) — to stabilise the new system and ensure seamless end-to-end emergency response.
The company further appealed to Malaysians to use the 999 line responsibly, warning that prank and unnecessary calls significantly hinder response times for those facing real emergencies.
TM reaffirmed its commitment to restoring full reliability to the service, saying its teams are working “around the clock” to ensure that every Malaysian can access timely help via both the 999 hotline and the digital channels.
