DNB, a government-owned company appointed to deploy the 5G infrastructure and network nationwide, had offered the major telcos in the country equal stakes totalling about 70%.

Marshall said there were provisions in the agreement between DNB and the telcos relating to mergers, ensuring that no one company will have a greater say over another in the 5G rollout.

“There is a limit to how many shares the telcos can own, but that does not change the fact that DNB’s board will make the decisions.

“The policies, objectives and deliverables of DNB remain the same,” he told reporters after a special briefing on 5G.

Digi and Celcom, the second and third largest mobile service operators in the country, had submitted a merger application to the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) in July 2021.

On Wednesday, MCMC said it had no objection to the proposed merger.

It said it had conducted a “comprehensive assessment” of the proposed merger, with both Digi and Celcom expressing their commitment to overcoming issues surrounding competition.

Marshall said an announcement would be made in the coming months regarding DNB’s shares and the agreement with telcos.