Teo said the Cabinet had, on Nov 13, 2020, agreed to replace the old MERS999 platform with NG999 and opted for a service-lease model with TM.

She said the project costs RM1.25 billion over 12 years, covering both development and operations.

“The NG999 system was developed through a public-private partnership via direct negotiation with Telekom Malaysia, based on a service lease model.

“The RM1.25 billion cost is for a 12-year concession – one year for development and 11 years for operations,” she said.

Teo said people can still dial 999, while the SaveME999 mobile app provides an additional channel, mainly for those unable to make voice calls.

She said call volumes almost doubled immediately after NG999 went live on Nov 15, resulting in many missed calls during the first week.

The old system handled an average of 28,000 incoming calls a day, but NG999 has been managing between 38,000 and 61,000 calls daily since its launch.

Teo said the service is now within the contract terms after TM added more agents at its call centre.

“Now, 95% of calls are answered within eight seconds, in line with the SLA (service level agreement) signed between the government and TM,” she said.

According to the Auditor-General’s Report for 2012, the RM801.55 million MERS999 project, implemented in May 2007, also saw TM appointed through direct negotiation.

The Edge had reported that the A-G’s report found that the MERS 999 project was riddled with irregularities that resulted in overpayment, and payment being made without documentation.