Most People See a Gas Pipeline. We Saw a Digital Corridor.

Most people see a gas pipeline.

We saw a digital corridor.

Back in 2023, while leading Strategy & Business Development at PETRONAS Gas Berhad, management asked us a simple question:

How do we create more value from an asset we already own?

Not by building another pipeline.

Not by increasing gas throughput.

But by looking at the PGU Right-of-Way through an entirely different lens.

That journey eventually became what is today known as LinkaranFibre.

Starting With the Problem, Not the Technology

The answer did not appear overnight.

For almost a year, we worked through the problem using PETRONAS' Working Backwards methodology. Rather than beginning with technology, we began with the customer, the market need and the problem that required solving.

We were entering a business that was new to us, so learning became part of the strategy.

We were fortunate to receive valuable guidance from En. Rashidi and En. Mohamed Asri Jaafar, as well as support from MDEC, especially Mr. Tze Meng Tan, who helped us better understand the fibre business, its ecosystem, customer requirements and market potential.

That knowledge helped us move from a broad idea to a more credible business proposition.

Making the Future Visible

Then came the harder part: turning the concept into an investable case.

Ideas became business models. Sketches became engineering layouts. We developed a physical replica of how the system could work, supported by a large visual illustration to help management and Board members see the opportunity more clearly.

Because sometimes, people do not reject an idea because it lacks merit.

They reject it because the future has not yet been made visible.

From Blueprint to Construction

Today, seeing LinkaranFibre progressing beyond Final Investment Decision and into construction is immensely satisfying.

• An 880km cross-border fibre network.
• A 288-core ultra-low-latency infrastructure.
• Secure and diverse routes built along existing gas pipeline rights-of-way.

A new digital backbone supporting data centres, hyperscalers, carriers, enterprises and the wider ASEAN digital economy.

It is a reminder that innovation is not always about inventing a new asset.

Sometimes, it begins by seeing an existing asset differently.

The past belongs to those who helped shape the idea. The future now belongs to the team bringing it to life.

My sincere congratulations and best wishes to everyone carrying LinkaranFibre from blueprint to reality.