Axiata Group Berhad (242188-H)

Transcription

Axiata Group Berhad(242188-H)Axiata Centre9 Jalan Stesen Sentral 5Kuala Lumpur Sentral50470 Kuala LumpurMalaysiaWebsite: www.axiata.comThis publication has been printedon recycled material.

Axiata Group Berhad(242188-H)

RAISING THE BAR028Simplified Group Balance Sheet016 President & GCEO’sBusiness Review029Two-Year Group FinancialSummary025Two-Year Group FinancialHighlights030Major Milestones034Axiata GalleryReporting by GeographicalLocation036Awards & Accolades038Feature Article:The Future of MobileTelecommunications006Financial Calendar010007Corporate Information026027Chairman’s StatementGroup Financial OverviewCONTENTSSTRENGTH IN DIVERSITY042044046048056060064079089100Axiata ProfileRegional PresenceGroup Corporate StructureProfile of DirectorsProfile of Management TeamProfile of Operating Companies’ Management TeamStatement on Corporate GovernanceStatement on Internal ControlBoard Audit Committee ReportFeature Article:Evolution of Mobile BroadbandENHANCING onesiaSri LankaBangladeshCambodiaIndiaSingaporeOthersFeature Article:Mobile App StoresADVANCING ASIA146Corporate ResponsibilityMarketplace PerspectivePeople PerspectiveEnvironmental PerspectiveCommunity PerspectiveFINANCIAL STATEMENTS156Directors’ ResponsibilityStatement157Audited Financial Statementsfor the Financial Year Ended31 December 2009288 Group Financial Analysis292 Shareholding Statistics296 Additional ComplianceInformation300 Net Book Value of Land &Buildings301List of Top Ten Properties302 Group Directory303 Glossary307 Notice of Annual GeneralMeeting310 Statement AccompanyingNotice of Annual GeneralMeeting311Administrative Details for the18th Annual General Meeting Proxy Form

10countries25,000employees120million customers

The name Axiata embodies who we are. A company that’scommitted to the people of Asia. Our logo, the Axiata Prism ismultifaceted and multidimensional reflecting our rich heritage,diversity and vibrancy.It is as colourful as the different countries we serve.It shows the world that we view situations from every perspective,taking all viewpoints into account.As one of Asia’s largest telecommunications companies, we arecommitted to the growth of the region by providing affordableconnectivity, innovative technology and nurturing world-class talent.With over 120 million customers across 10 countries, we areadvancing Asia towards a better, brighter future.That’s Axiata.

Financial Calendar2009QUARTERLY RESULTS19 May 2009 (Tuesday)Announcement date of unaudited consolidatedresults for the 1st quarter ended 31 March200927 August 2009 (Thursday)Announcement date of unaudited consolidatedresults for the 2nd quarter ended 30 June200930 November 2009 (Monday)Announcement date of unaudited consolidatedresults for the 3rd quarter ended 30 September200924 February 2010 (Wednesday)Announcement date of audited consolidatedresults for the 4th quarter ended 31 December2009Notice of 18th Annual GeneralMeeting and Issuance ofAnnual Report 2009BOARD OF DIRECTORSChairmanNon-Independent Non-Executive DirectorTAN SRI DATO’ AZMAN HJ. MOKHTARManaging Director/President &Group Chief Executive OfficerDATO’ SRI JAMALUDIN IBRAHIMExecutive Director/Group Chief Financial OfficerDATO’ YUSOF ANNUAR YAACOBIndependent Non-Executive DirectorTAN SRI GHAZZALI SHEIKH ABDUL KHALID31 May 2010 (Monday)Senior Independent Non-Executive DirectorDATUK AZZAT KAMALUDIN18th Annual General Meeting22 June 2010 (Tuesday)Independent Non-Executive DirectorJUAN VILLALONGA NAVARROIndependent Non-Executive DirectorDAVID LAU NAI PEKNon-Independent Non-Executive DirectorDR. FARID MOHAMED SANIAxiata Group Berhad 006

Corporate InformationGROUP COMPANY SECRETARYAUDITORSSURYANI HUSSEINLS0009277PricewaterhouseCoopers(AF: 1146)Level 10, 1 SentralJalan TraversKuala Lumpur Sentral50706 Kuala LumpurMalaysiaTel : 603 2173 1188Fax : 603 2173 1288REGISTERED OFFICELevel 5, Axiata Centre9 Jalan Stesen Sentral 5Kuala Lumpur Sentral50470 Kuala LumpurTel : 603 2263 8911Fax : 603 2263 8903SHARE REGISTRARTricor Investor Services Sdn Bhd(Company No. 118401-V)(formerly known as Tenaga KoperatSdn Bhd)Level 17, The Gardens North TowerMid Valley CityLingkaran Syed Putra59200 Kuala LumpurMalaysiaTel : 603 2264 3883Fax : 603 2282 1886Email: INVESTOR RELATIONSTel : 603 2263 8880Fax : 603 2278 3337Email: ir@axiata.comSTOCK EXCHANGE LISTINGListed on MainBursa MalaysiaListing Date :Stock Code :Stock Name :Stock Sector :Market ofSecurities Berhad28 April 20086888AxiataTrading/ServicesAnnual Report 2009 007

RaisingTHE BARAxiata emphasises a culture of excellence, to accelerate performanceand propel us to the next level. Our vision is to be a leading mobileoperator in the Asian region by 2015. A bold ambition that we intendto see through by constantly raising the bar.

Axiata Group Berhad 010TanChairmanSriDato’AzmanHj.Mokhtar

Chairman’sStatementDear Shareholders,2009 was the year Axiata Group Berhad (Axiata) celebrated alandmark event in its continuing journey of transformation. Axiataintroduced its new brand and identity as part of the strategiesembarked upon its demerger, and emerged even stronger fromthe challenges of the global financial crisis in 2008 and 2009.Axiata already has the makings of a regional champion; focusedon driving transformation and raising the performance bar.AXiatatripled profits, surging231.9%YoYAnnual Report 2009 011

Chairman’s StatementI am pleased to report that Axiatarecorded an outstanding performancefor 2009. Against the backdrop ofslowing regional economies and theglobal crisis, Axiata exceeded all itsannounced Headline Key PerformanceIndicators (KPIs). Group Revenuegrew by 15.5% year on year (YoY)to RM13.1 billion, Earnings beforeInterest, Tax, Depreciation andAmortisation (EBITDA) grew 18.4%to RM5.2 billion. Profit after Tax andMinority Interests (PATAMI) surgedby 231.9%, to reach RM1.7 billion andour Returns on Equity (ROE) was11.2% 1 . Total Shareholders Return(TSR) was also up 24% in 2009.1Stripping out forex gains, ROE was 9% for2009Axiata Group Berhad 012I was also very encouraged to seesignificant strengthening of ourcapital structure, through the rightsissue in the second quarter and theresultant cash position. Thedeleveraging of our Balance Sheetsaw Net Debt to EBITDA ratioimprove to 2.0x in 2009 versus3.8x in 2008. This was followed bythe recently completed USD300million Bonds offering, markinganother milestone achievement inour capital management roadmap.Another enhancement came fromthe completed sale of 1.7 billion PTXL Axiata Tbk. (XL) shares, fulfillingAxiata’s commitment to theIndonesian regulators to increase thefree float of XL shares on theIndonesia Stock Exchange. Theexercise represents the largestIndonesian secondary equity offeringin more than 10 years.

These financial improvements are adirect result of Axiata’s concertedefforts to transform the way we dobusiness at all levels. Not only didwe introduce a new brand andidentity for the Group andimplemented a new distinct set ofstrategies and initiatives, we put inplace corporate governance policiesincluding a new code of conduct andoperating procedures to ensuretransparency and accountabilityacross the Operating Companies(OpCos). With a strong focus onpeople, we brought in a diverse andcapable set of experiencedprofessionals and are building up ourcurrent workforce with world-classLeadership Development and TalentManagement programmes; to leadthe transformation both at theCorporate Centre and in each of theOpCos.Accordingly, the OpCos also changedtheir names, incorporating the name“Axiata” as part of their legalcompany identity. Recently, oursubsidiary in Bangladesh launched itsnew brand name and logo, Robi,marking the completion of therebranding exercise, which thus farhas been accomplished with positivefeedback from all stakeholders.Axiata’s commitment totransformation makes it a modelGovernment-Linked Company (GLC)in the broader context of the GLCTransformation (GLCT) Programmeand Khazanah Nasional Berhad’s(Khazanah) intent to nurture regionalchampions.Just as Axiata is in transformation,so is the global mobile industry. Linesare continuously blurring with changeexpected on all fronts – devices,consumer behaviour, networktechnologies, content and servicesas well as increasing competition,from both traditional and nontraditional sectors.The wave of transformation wascarried across the Group, as ourOpCos refreshed their logos toincorporate the Axiata “Prism” – aunifying symbol reflecting our richcultural heritage, vibrant anddiverse.2With all these efforts, our share priceon Bursa Malaysia Securities Berhad(Bursa Securities) respondedpositively, outperforming the KualaLumpur Composite Index (KLCI) by22% in the first quarter of 2010.Looking ahead, Axiata will certainlycontinue to face challenges, bothfrom an economic and industryperspective, but we believe we arein a good position to face them.As of Q1’2010 2 the global mobilepenetration rate stands at 71% whilstin Asia Pacific alone, it is 59%. Bythe end of 2014, Asia Pacific wouldhave accounted for more than 50%of the world’s expected 6.8 billionmobile connections.GSM Association: Wireless IntelligenceQ1’ 2010Annual Report 2009 013

Chairman’s Statement3The World Bank, Global EconomicProspects 2010: Crisis, Finance, andGrowth (21 January 2010)Meanwhile, although economicconditions appear to be improving,volatility may still be an issue. TheWorld Bank reported that the globaleconomy contracted by 2.2% in2009, but expects the globaleconomy to grow by 2.7% in 2010.By contrast, East Asia and the Pacificand South Asia grew 6.8% and 5.7%in 2009 respectively and areexpected to grow 8.1% and 6.9% in20103. This gives us extra comfort ofthe resilience of our OpCos’ countryeconomies.I believe as Axiata progresses downits transformation journey and withits enhanced balance sheet, it is inan excellent position to capture theopportunities presented in each ofthe countries it operates in.What this means is that while thelong-term outlook may be uncertain,complex and multi-dimensional, realopportunities for growth are theregiven the countries we are in andthe relative stages of socio-economicdevelopment.This is in the spirit of our government’sNew Economic Model (NEM) whichcalls for the transformation of thenation into a developed high-incomeeconomy that is sustainable andinclusive.As innovation remains absolutelycritical in this environment, theleadership of Axiata across the Groupis committed to ‘raising the bar’ in allaspects of our business; be it in ouroperations, the organisation, productsand services, and the entire customerexperience. Axiata Group Berhad 014We reiterate our commitment to ourpurpose of “Advancing Asia” viaconnectivity, technology and talent.We aim to make a real difference topeople’s lives and help to transformthe economies of the countries inwhich we operate.We have bold financial targets butour targets go beyond financialmeasures. Axiata’s economic,technology and social contributionaims to push us to a higher-incomeeconomy, with the creation of worldclass processes, services and talentfor our sustainable growth.We reiterate ourcommitment to ourpurpose of “Advancing Asia”via connectivity, technologyand talent. We aim to make areal difference to people’s livesand help to transform theeconomies of the countries inwhich we operate.

Our products and services should beinclusive – to reach the masses notjust the urban population, and to beaffordable to all; and our talentphilosophy is also based on diversityand inclusiveness.Our focus on developing humancapital is the top of our agenda.Both the Board and Management arevery committed to ensure that wehave not only the best managementteams across the Group, but to alsodevelop future leaders of the Group.In this respect, Axiata will drive amajor Corporate Responsibility (CR)initiative at Group level specificallyaround Education and DevelopingTalent, and at a later stageHumanitarian Efforts, with a collectiveapproach across our OpCos.We could not have come this farwithout the commitment, guidanceand support of our Board,Management and employees, to allof whom I offer my thanks andcongratulations for 2009’s significantachievements.In particular, I would like to recordmy gratitude to the late Ismael FarizAli and acknowledge his part in theearly days of Axiata’s new chapter.I would also like to thank andcongratulate Gita Irawan Wirjawan,our Independent Non-ExecutiveDirector, who had to retire from theBoard when he was appointed Headof Indonesia’s InvestmentCoordinating Agency, which isaccorded ministerial position. Tothese gentlemen, Axiata records ourappreciation for their invaluableleadership and contributions duringtheir tenure with the Group. Thisyear, we also welcomed on boardDr. Farid Mohamed Sani as Director.Further, I thank our customers,partners, the media and ourshareholders for their continuedsupport and trust. As always, specialmention goes to the governmentsand regulators of the OpCo countriesfor their facilitation and cooperation.None of the above would be possiblewithout the dedication andprofessionalism of the Managementand employees of the Group and allits subsidiaries in their relentlesspursuit for operational excellenceand raising the bar for thecompetition.In this aspect, I am especially pleasedto announce that as we go to print,Axiata has won two top awards atthe Telecom Asia Awards 2010 –Axiata for Best Regional MobileGroup and Dato’ Sri JamaludinIbrahim, our Managing Director/President and Group Chief ExecutiveOfficer (President & GCEO) forTelecom CEO of the Year.In addition, our flagship domesticoperator, Celcom Axiata Berhad(formerly known as Celcom (Malaysia)Berhad) won Best Mobile Carrier.These are among the many moreaccolades across the Group and aretremendous acknowledgements andwell deserved, given that it has onlybeen two short years since thedemerger from Telekom MalaysiaBerhad (TM), and only one year sinceAxiata came into being as a newidentity.From being TM International Berhad(TMI), we are now Axiata GroupBerhad. At Axiata, we are constantlyraising the bar and will continue withour transformation into a regionalchampion by 2015. It thus gives megreat pleasure to present Axiata’sAnnual Report 2009.TAN SRI DATO’ AZMANHJ. MOKHTARCHAIRMAN30 April 2010Annual Report 2009 015

Axiata Group Berhad 016ExecutiveDatMoanagingPresident’SriJamaluD& irectordGroup inIbra/Chief himfficerOChairman’s Statement

President & GCEO’sBusiness ReviewDear Shareholders,2009 has been nothing short of another milestone year for us –this is the year we came together as a new brand and a newidentity, as Axiata Group Berhad, and as the Axiata family unitedwith a common logo, our Prism. The vibrant energy that camewith this new start has yielded commendable results for us – inthe short 12 months since then, and indeed since the demerger,we have proven that Axiata means business.Revenue up15.5%YoYAnnual Report 2009 017

President & GCEO’s Business ReviewClearly the hard work is paying off– in the last Annual Report, weshared our vision to become aregional champion by 2015 and thestrategies we have put in place toget us there. In these first two yearsof 2008 and 2009, we set aboutbuilding a “new distinct company” –revamping the organisation and theoperating business model, makingeither basic or major fundamentalchanges to our governance,management, people, structure andprocesses, in order to transform thegroup into a world-class multinationalcompany (MNC). Together with theOpCos’ top management, we eitherrefined or revisited many of theirrespective strategies.Our spectacular first full year financialperformance for the year ended31 December 2009, is testamentthat we are executing well on ourstrategies and initiatives.Axiata has also been honoured withseveral local and international awards,including the Frost & Sullivan BestTelecom Group of the Year 2009,the Gold Award for the NACRA BestDesigned Annual Report and theMalaysian Corporate GovernanceIndex 2009 Merit Award. Mostrecently, Axiata has also won BestRegional Mobile Group at the TelecomAsia Awards 2010.GROUPREVIEWP E R FO R M A N C EI am pleased to report Axiata’sstrong results for our first full yearended 31 December 2009 – an allround performance in terms ofrevenue and profit growth across allmajor OpCos. Almost every aspectof the Group’s and OpCos’ strategieswere meticulously executed asplanned, which saw positive quarterlytrends continuing across OpCos andthe Group ending the year on aposition of strength.Group Revenue grew 15.5% to RM13.1billion YoY, EBITDA grew 18.4% toRM5.2 billion, with marginimprovement up from 38.4% to39.3%. These came from excellentperformances, particularly from ourMalaysian (Celcom)1, Indonesian (XL)2and Bangladesh (Robi)3 operations,with both XL and Robi showingpositive Profit After Tax (PAT) fromlosses in 2008. This contributed tothe Group’s marked increase in actualPATAMI, of 231.9% YoY to RM1.7billion. Normalised PATAMI was alsoup 43.6%, after adjusting forexceptional items, such as forex andfinance costs related to the Ideaacquisition. ROE showed 6.4percentage points improvement.123Axiata Group Berhad 018Celcom – brand name of Celcom AxiataBerhadXL – brand name of PT XL Axiata TbkRobi – brand name of Axiata (Bangladesh)Limited

The Group turned Free Cash Flow(FCF) positive for the first time, up265.2% to RM2.1 billion. The Group’sbalance sheet has been significantlystrengthened through a series ofcorporate finance activities. Wedeleveraged our balance sheetthrough the rights issue of RM5.2billion, proceeds of which wenttowards the paring down of ourdebts. Axiata’s Net Debt to EBITDAratio is now at 2.0x from 3.8x. Inanother effort to strengthen andstreamline the Group’s debt structure,Axiata converted RM2.8 billion of itsconventional term loans to Islamicterm financing. Most recently, Axiataembarked on a USD300 million(RM1.0 billion) bonds offering whichwill provide us with a better debtmaturity profile.XL also embarked on a rights issue,allowing it to reduce its debt andimprove its capital structure.In another significant corporatedevelopment, Axiata recentlycompleted the sale of 1.7 billion XLShares (representing 19.8% equitystake) at the price of IDR3,300(RM1.2) per share, raisingapproximately RM2.0 billion in grossproceeds.At the end of 2009, the Group’stotal subscriber base expanded to120.0 million, up 34.4% from a yearago making us one of the largestSoutheast and South Asia mobilegroup.Annual Report 2009 019

OP E R A T I N GREVIEWCO M P A N I E SThere was clear evidence of sustainedrecovery in most economies in 2009.Indonesia, Bangladesh and Indiaespecially have shown resilienceagainst the global economicslowdown. Furthermore, inflationaryled pressures eased in Sri Lanka andother markets, relatively lower tothe highs of 2008.We are particularly pleased with theexcellent results of Celcom, XL andRobi. All three OpCos have increasedmarket share and profitability, withCelcom and XL performing the bestin the industry.We also saw encouraging trends inSri Lanka with Dialog4, which reflectsthe success of Dialog’s concertedfocus on targeted revenue growthand cost management as well as itsability to accelerate performance inan increasingly competitive operatinglandscape. However, in Cambodia,Hello5 continues to face challenges ina highly competitive market withnine operators.We are also happy to see our Indianand Singaporean affiliates, Idea6 andM1 7 , producing solid results. Westarted the year cautiously, giventhe uncertain economic environment.With a strong emphasis on costmanagement, we have achievedimproved EBITDA margin acrossmost OpCos.Accelerated Performance atCelcom and XLMalaysiaExcellent execution of segmentedmarketing, as well as continued focuson mobile broadband, saw Celcomrecording the highest revenuegrowth, up 12.8% YoY to RM6.3billion. This coupled withimplementation of a strict costmanagement programme sawEBITDA improve by 11.0% in thesame period. Amidst a competitiveenvironment, EBITDA margin,excluding additional Universal ServiceProvision (USP) and Employees ShareOption Scheme (ESOS) charges,improved by 0.1 percentage point.PAT grew significantly by 19.0%,with a record amount of RM1.5billion.4567Axiata Group Berhad 020Dialog – brand name ofDialog Telekom PLCHello – brand name ofHello Axiata Company LimitedIdea – brand name ofIdea Cellular LimitedM1 – brand name of M1 Limited

President & GCEO’s Business ReviewThe year also saw strong growth innon-voice services, with data nowcontributing about 30% to revenue,from 22% a year ago. Mobilebroadband saw particular traction,surpassing 500,000 customers. Withan overall growth of 124.1%, Celcomis the undisputed leader in theindustry with mobile broadband, itcontributed close to 6% to Celcomrevenue, from only 2% last year.Diligent focus on cost management,which included direct expenses aswell as sales and marketing, sawimpressive margin improvement to44.7%, from 42.2% last year. Thatplus strict cost management sawEBITDA growth of 20.9% YoY. PATturned profitable, IDR1.7 trillion(RM578.0 million) from a loss ofIDR15.1 billion (RM4.7 million) in2008.Focus on network cost and efficiencyresulted in savings as evidenced inthe decline in network costs from11.7% to 10.3% YoY as percentage ofrevenue.XL has outperformed many of itsrivals during the year, and subscribersgrew from 26.0 million to 31.4 million.The group’s focus on activecustomers saw improved AverageRevenue Per User (ARPU), throughbetter quality customers.Celcom closed the year with 10.1million subscribers, a growth of15.8%.IndonesiaMaximisation of yield and strict costmanagement, saw strong performancein all financial metrics at XL. Thefocus on quality subscribers, whichbegan in early 2009, delivered a14.2% hike in revenue.the generated internal free cash torepay a significant amount of debt,reducing outstanding debt by nearly30%. Net Debt to EBITDA ratio hassignificantly improved from 3.4x in2008 to 2.0x in 2009, putting XL inexcellent shape to continue growingits business.Non-voice revenue saw stronggrowth with a 32.3 % increase YoY.Revenue from data services increased269.2% while SMS revenue grew18.9%. Alongside the emphasis onyield, moving forward XL will befocusing on this new growthsegment.Turnaround Plan Gains TractionFurthermore, XL also strengthenedits Balance Sheet in 2009. Healthyoperational momentum, combinedwith smart Capex spending, resultedin positive FCF for XL. XL has usedboth the proceeds of the IDR2.8trillion (RM1.0 billion) Rights Issue,completed in December, as well asBangladesh2009 was a turnaround year forRobi, with double digit growth of36.3% YoY in revenue. This was froma successful focus on distributionchannels via a brand focus andregional push strategy. Robi has nowrecorded five consecutive quartersof growth, with the last quarter of2009, the highest to date.We are particularlypleased with the excellentresults of Celcom, XL andRobi. All three companieshave increased market shareand profitability, with Celcomand XL performing the best in theindustry.Annual Report 2009 021

President & GCEO’s Business ReviewDespite the competitive regulatorychallenges, Robi recorded significantEBITDA growth of 58.0% YoY, withmargin improvement up 4.6percentage points to 33.6% in 2009,as compared to 29.0% in 2008. Thiswas a result of high revenue growthand continuous cost managementefforts such as lower network anddirect costs.Profitability showed the greatestimprovement of more than 100%,with Robi turning to a profit ofBDT0.9 billion (RM46.1 million) in2009 from a loss of BDT1.2 billion(RM62.3 million) a year ago. NetDebt to EBITDA ratio is 2.1x.YoY subscribers showed stronggrowth of 36.0% to 11.9 millionsubscribers on the back of focusedattention on customer retention andreactivation of inactive customers,supported by innovative plans andtariffs.Sri LankaDialog is still facing some externalchallenges with revenue marginallydown by 1.4% YoY. However, EBITDAimproved 136.4%, from SLR1.1 billion(RM34.9 million) in Q1 to SLR2.7b i l l i on (RM80.3 million) in Q4,representing four consecutivequarters of improvement on theback of the bold cost restructuringprogramme which is showingconsistent quarter by quarterprogress. Net Debt to EBITDA ratiois 3.4x.Axiata Group Berhad 022Dialog recorded a loss of SLR12.2billion (RM374.0 million) for 2009compared to SLR2.9 billion (RM92.9million) in 2008.Dialog has also seen continuedmobile subscriber growth amidst acompetitive environment, recordingan impressive 15.7% growth YoYwith 6.4 million subscribers.CambodiaHello is in an extremely over-crowdedmarket which affected its financialperformance overall, yet saw a 30.1%YoY increase in subscriber base.Revenue, EBITDA and PAT declined14.1%, 18.1% and 52.5% respectively.Net Debt to EBITDA ratio is 5.7x.The year focused on a strategyreview around distribution channelrestructuring and per second billinginitiatives with Group support.AFFILIATES REVIEWIndiaIdea became a pan-India operator in2009 with presence in all 22 serviceareas in the country. Despite thechallenging environment in Q2 andQ3, Q4 saw strong recovery.Idea saw revenue up an impressive26.2% YoY, with EBITDA up 22.7% inthe same period, despite increasingprice pressures in the market withcompetition intensifying, reflectingthe resilience of the company’sbusiness model. PAT grew 9.7% YoY.Idea contributed RM44.8 million toGroup profits, having been equityaccounted since the second half of2009.

Idea’s healthy balance sheet, as wellas its improving operationalefficiencies, provides a solid base tosupport the group during the currentmarket of hyper competition.As of 17 March 2010, the Idea-Spicemerger was completed.SingaporeM1 saw evidence of improvingeconomic conditions with an increasein its subscriber base of 7.9% YoYdespite being in a developed andsaturated market. For FY09 M1recorded a decline in revenue andEBITDA of 2.4% and 2.1% respectivelywhile PAT showed a slightimprovement of 0.1%. The lastquarter in 2009 particularly, showedencouraging signs across its financialscorecard. M1 looks forward toproviding exciting new opportunitieswith the launch of the iPhone, newmobile services, and Next GenerationNationwide Broadband Network(NGNBN).CONTINUING THETRANSFORMATIONLaying The Foundations For ASustainable FutureThe year saw the Group consolidating,enhancing the foundations andcreating a new and distinctcompany.2009 was a watershed year for thegroup, executing our new post demerger strategy with clockworkprecision to end the year on a high.We have a new name and brandidentity, with initial surveys showingregional awareness within a shortperiod of time. Across the Group,our OpCos have refreshed their logosand changed their names to reflectthe uniting Axiata identity.We further strengthened ourmanagement teams with strongdiversity across most OpCos and weimproved our operating modelfurther, especially in the areas ofperformance management, humanresource management, financialdiscipline and governance.Our cost reduction programme, arecurring theme in all the OpCos, areon track and we continue to explorefurther ways to reduce cost. In 2009our cost management programme(CMP), showed tangible resultsespeci a l l y i n p r o c u r e m e n t a n dtechnology, with over RM700 millionin savings.We put special emphasis on HumanCapital and Talent Development,with a clear philosophy and processesinstituted. We implemented manykey initiatives especially talentmanagement and leadershipdevelopment.In the areas of Group Synergies,Best Practices, and KnowledgeManagement, a total of 44 initiativeswere developed of which 50% havebeen launched and progressmonitored, with multiple bestpractices adopted at selected OpCos– Celcom (Pricing), XL CustomerLifestyle Management (CLM) & DialogSystems, Applications and Products(SAP). We also saw through ninegovernance related projects includingrevision of group policy coveringCode of Conduct and Limits ofAuthority, and initiated standardGroup framework agreements inProcurement.THE JOURNEYRAISING THE BARAHEAD:Axiata has always had compellinggrowth drivers, based on our existingpositions in countries with expandingeconomies and low penetration.Despite our 2009 achievements, webelieve that we still have a long wayto go to be a Regional Champion.That is what the next phase from2010 to 2012 is essentially about –building a ‘game-changing’ company.We will complete our organisationalchanges, perfect our OpCoengagement model, realise groupsynergies and develop new strategicbusiness models, whilst furtherrefining all our OpCo strategies anddrive new strategic initiatives. Ourcost structure will be benchmarkedregularly, as being lean andcompetitive remains our top focus.Annual Report 2009 023

President & GCEO’s Business ReviewRecovery in the global economy waswell underway in 2009, and weremain cautiously optimistic into2010. Overall the Asia Pacific mobilerevenue growth will moderate in themedium term; with slowing revenuegrowth driven by increasingpenetration and lower ARPUs.However in the medium term, similarto global trends, our markets willcontinue to show voice revenuesdominating with broadband andmobile data as the engine of growthin high penetration markets. In lowpenetration markets, subscribergrowth would still drive revenuegrowth. Adjacent opportunities existin M-Commerce and mobileadvertising. Given this, our mediumterm objectives will be balancedbetween maximising returns andmaintaining growth.Axiata aims to assert its leadershipin mobile broadband and mobile dataservices, whilst we consolidate andsignificantly strengthen our overallportfolio. This may include divestmentof our non-core or sub-scale businessesin other countries. We will alsoincrease our focus on segmentedmarketing and CLM and on touchpoints. Moving forwa

300 Net Book Value of Land & Buildings 301 List of Top Ten Properties 302 Group Directory 303 Glossary 307 Notice of Annual General Meeting . to see through by constantly raising the bar. RAISING THE BAR. Axiata Group Berhad 010 T AN S R i dAT A ZMAN hJ Mo K h TAR C HAIRMAN. Annual Report 2009 011