Posted by Victor Yong > 2020-08-03 17:15 | Report Abuse

Source : PUBLIC BANK
Stock : ASTRO Price Target : 1.55 | Price Call : BUY
Last Price : 0.765 | Upside/Downside : +0.785 (102.61%)

Back

Astro posted a 1QFY21 headline net profit of RM73.8m, down 57% YoY, mainly dragged by lower subscription and advertising revenue as well as higher finance cost and provision for doubtful debts. After adjusting for the unrealized forex loss of RM33m, The group’s 1QFY21 core net profit came in at RM107m. Results were below expectations, accounting for c.17% of full-year estimates. Following this set of results, we cut our earnings estimates by 12%-16% for FY21F-FY23F to account for lackluster adex and lower subscribers in light of the fragile underlying market conditions where consumer spending is expecting to be weak moving forward. Therefore, our DCF-based TP is revised downwards to RM1.55 (previously RM1.80). We maintain our Outperform call on Astro as the stock’s valuation looks undemanding given that Astro is currently trading at 10x forward PER, which is near -2SD of its 5-year average mean (figure 1). On a side note, Astro declared a first interim dividend of 1 sen.

1QFY21 revenue declined by 14.7% YoY mainly due to lower contribution from both TV and Radio segment. Pay TV ARPU declined from RM100.4 to RM99.1. TV segment revenue fell by 15.7% YoY as the group recorded lower subscription and advertising revenue. Meanwhile, Radio segment revenue dropped by 37.5% YoY due to lower client advertising expenditure. Home-shopping segment revenue grew by 14.1%, leveraging on the higher viewership recorded during MCO which saw the segment increasing its reach to 2.4m customers.
Weaker core earnings. 1QFY21 core net profit fell by 42% YoY due to higher finance cost. EBITDA margin decreased by 4.5% to 31% due to higher operating expenses as a percentage of revenue (content cost, merchandise cost and staff cost) incurred in both TV and Radio segment. On a more positive note, Home-shopping segment turned EBITDA positive on the back of higher sales volume recorded due to higher viewership and festive spending.
Future outlook. The unprecedented impact brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in an exceptionally weak 1Q. However, we are of the view that earnings could see gradual recovery for the coming quarters as the economy reopens following a period of lockdown. Also, we expect a stronger 2H due to seasonality. We continue to favour the group for its rapid response in adapting to the new normal, on-going cost optimisation efforts and its ability to seize opportunities to create new revenue streams in its home-shopping, broadband, OTT and digital platforms.
Source: PublicInvest Research - 19 Jun 2020

Posted by EatCoconutCanWin > 2020-08-03 17:17 | Report Abuse

yeah...sellllll

Posted by skydrag > 2020-08-03 19:27 | Report Abuse

No point reposting old source again and again, it doesn't boost the price up magically. Look at the present, not the past.

Posted by Good123 > 2020-08-03 21:20 | Report Abuse

don't argue, results speak for itself

Posted by Good123 > 2020-08-03 21:20 | Report Abuse

be patient, Any M

Posted by Good123 > 2020-08-04 05:57 | Report Abuse

maxis will help astro to reach more places throughout malaysia. download speed, etc will accelerate. https://www.theedgemarkets.com › ...

Web results

Maxis seals 5G deal with Huawei, readies for 2020 roll-out | The Edge Markets

4 Oct 2019 · KUALA LUMPUR: Maxis Bhd, which has sealed an agreement with Huawei Technologies Malaysia to get access to the latter's  ...

https://www.reuters.com › article

Malaysia's Maxis partners Huawei for 5G roll-out next year - Reuters

3 Oct 2019 · Malaysia's Maxis Bhd said it has signed an agreement with China's Huawei Technologies Co Ltd to launch a ...

https://www.zdnet.com › article

Malaysian Maxis signs up to Huawei for 5G | ZDNet

4 Oct 2019 · Huawei and Malaysian telco Maxis have signed a deal to roll out the latter's 5G network. The Chinese telco equipment ...

https://channelasia.tech › article › hu...

Huawei seals 5G deal with Maxis in Malaysia - Channel Asia

4 Oct 2019 · Huawei has signed an agreement for the provisioning of a 5G network in Malaysia through a government-backed partnership with ...

https://m.malaysiakini.com › news

Maxis, Huawei ink agreement for provisioning of 5G network in Malaysia - Malaysiakini

3 Oct 2019 · Signing on behalf of Maxis was its chief executive officer (CEO), Gokhan Ogut, while Huawei was represented by its CEO, Michael Yuan

Posted by Good123 > 2020-08-04 05:58 | Report Abuse

We maintain our calls and TPs for Astro (BUY; TP: RM1.15), Star (HOLD; TP RM0.41) and Media Prima (HOLD; TP: RM0.17). Astro is only our top pick for the sector, as it reaps the benefits from cost savings due to deferment of major sports events. Its attractive dividend yield at 8.1% is another plus point.

Source: Hong Leong Investment Bank Research - 20 Jul 2020

Posted by Zuliana > 2020-08-04 06:13 | Report Abuse

Losing customers everyday...
How?

Posted by Good123 > 2020-08-04 08:52 | Report Abuse

EPF 8% stake in Astro. hope to see 10% soon.





 6399    ASTRO    ASTRO MALAYSIA HOLDINGS BERHADChanges in Sub. S-hldr's Int (Section 138 of CA 2016)Particulars of ShareholderName:EMPLOYEES PROVIDENT FUND BOARD ("EPF")NRIC/Passport No./Company No.:EPF ACT 1991Nationality/Country of Incorporation:MalaysiaAddress:Tingkat 19, Bangunan KWSP, Jalan Raja Laut 50350 Kuala Lumpur Wilayah
Persekutuan Malaysia
Descriptions (Class and Nominal Value):Ordinary Shares in Astro Malaysia Holdings Berhad ("AMH Shares")Name and Address of Registered Holder:You are advised to read the entire contents of the announcement or
attachment. To read the entire contents of the announcement or attachment,
please access the Bursa website at http://www.bursamalaysia.com
Details of ChangesDate of Notice:24/07/2020Transactions:No.DateTransaction TypeNo of SharesPrice (RM)1.23/07/2020Acquired253,700-Circumstances by reason of which change has occurred:Acquisition of SharesNature of Interest:Direct InterestConsideration:

No of Shares Held After Changes:Direct:421,484,300 shares (8.0830%)Total:421,484,300 sharesRemarks:You are advised to read the entire contents of the announcement or
attachment. To read the entire contents of the announcement or attachment,
please access the Bursa website at http://www.bursamalaysia.com
Submitted By:
28/07/2020   07:00 AM

Ref Code: 202007283600083

Posted by Stockwiser > 2020-08-04 13:37 | Report Abuse

Haha, wat for to keep saying epf bought bla bla bla but day share price drop everyday. Nothing to say anymore already ke.

Posted by learn101 > 2020-08-04 15:17 | Report Abuse

this one how ah, day day drop

Posted by Jeffreyteck > 2020-08-04 18:07 | Report Abuse

Epf is the major SH of mbsb but only sees its price dropped to around 0.50. Unless goreng to push up, LT fundamentals=0 in this sunset industry. More than 2 billion of intangible assets, huge outstanding loans of 3569 million.

Posted by tstan100 > 2020-08-04 21:49 | Report Abuse

Some insiders knew that EPF's Milo tin is going to be emptied soon, so they sell all out before the wave hitting the shore. Please don't panic! the market will eventually recovered after 2025.

Posted by angkokann > 2020-08-05 12:07 | Report Abuse

Penny stock soon.

Posted by BearishTrend > 2020-08-06 09:42 | Report Abuse

90cts coming soon

Posted by luckypunting > 2020-08-06 13:42 | Report Abuse

CEO announced transformation program ...transform program normally take 1-2 years ...

Posted by luckypunting > 2020-08-06 13:43 | Report Abuse

many investors cannot wait are leaving this counter already .. other sectors more happening now :p

Posted by wallstreetrookie > 2020-08-06 13:44 | Report Abuse

i already consider astro delisted i dont care about my money here anymore.

Posted by Good123 > 2020-08-06 21:24 | Report Abuse

EPF is a strong buyer . be calm

Posted by Wonderful > 2020-08-06 21:33 | Report Abuse

Everyday same trend, will buy back if drop to 0.7. otherwise go somewhere else better.

Posted by RainT > 2020-08-07 11:23 | Report Abuse

follow EPF buy

Posted by Good123 > 2020-08-07 12:51 | Report Abuse

Changes in Director's Interest (Section 219 of CA 2016)

ASTRO MALAYSIA HOLDINGS BERHAD

Information Compiled By KLSE

Particulars of Director

NameMR RENZO CHRISTOPHER VIEGASDescriptions(Class)Ordinary Shares in Astro Malaysia Holdings Berhad ("AMH")

Details of changes

No

Date of change

No of securities

Type of transaction

Nature of Interest

1

05/08/2020

100,000

Acquired

Direct Interest

Name of registered holderRenzo Christopher ViegasDescription of "Others" Type of TransactionConsideration (if any)RM0.765
Circumstances by reason of which change has occurredAcquisition of shares in the open marketNature of interestDirect Interest

Total no of securities after change

Direct (units)300,000Direct (%)0.006Indirect/deemed interest (units)Indirect/deemed interest (%)Date of notice05/08/2020Date notice received by Listed Issuer05/08/2020

Posted by Good123 > 2020-08-07 12:55 | Report Abuse

be brave when others are penakut :)

Astro Malaysia Holdings Berhad- Expecting Better Quarters Ahead

Date: 19/06/2020 

Source : PUBLIC BANKStock : ASTRO     Price Target : 1.55     |     Price Call : BUY    Last Price : 0.755     |     Upside/Downside :   0.795 (105.30%) Back

Astro posted a 1QFY21 headline net profit of RM73.8m, down 57% YoY, mainly dragged by lower subscription and advertising revenue as well as higher finance cost and provision for doubtful debts. After adjusting for the unrealized forex loss of RM33m, The group’s 1QFY21 core net profit came in at RM107m. Results were below expectations, accounting for c.17% of full-year estimates. Following this set of results, we cut our earnings estimates by 12%-16% for FY21F-FY23F to account for lackluster adex and lower subscribers in light of the fragile underlying market conditions where consumer spending is expecting to be weak moving forward. Therefore, our DCF-based TP is revised downwards to RM1.55 (previously RM1.80). We maintain our Outperform call on Astro as the stock’s valuation looks undemanding given that Astro is currently trading at 10x forward PER, which is near -2SD of its 5-year average mean (figure 1). On a side note, Astro declared a first interim dividend of 1 sen.

1QFY21 revenue declined by 14.7% YoY mainly due to lower contribution from both TV and Radio segment. Pay TV ARPU declined from RM100.4 to RM99.1. TV segment revenue fell by 15.7% YoY as the group recorded lower subscription and advertising revenue. Meanwhile, Radio segment revenue dropped by 37.5% YoY due to lower client advertising expenditure. Home-shopping segment revenue grew by 14.1%, leveraging on the higher viewership recorded during MCO which saw the segment increasing its reach to 2.4m customers.

Weaker core earnings. 1QFY21 core net profit fell by 42% YoY due to higher finance cost. EBITDA margin decreased by 4.5% to 31% due to higher operating expenses as a percentage of revenue (content cost, merchandise cost and staff cost) incurred in both TV and Radio segment. On a more positive note, Home-shopping segment turned EBITDA positive on the back of higher sales volume recorded due to higher viewership and festive spending.

Future outlook. The unprecedented impact brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in an exceptionally weak 1Q. However, we are of the view that earnings could see gradual recovery for the coming quarters as the economy reopens following a period of lockdown. Also, we expect a stronger 2H due to seasonality. We continue to favour the group for its rapid response in adapting to the new normal, on-going cost optimisation efforts and its ability to seize opportunities to create new revenue streams in its home-shopping, broadband, OTT and digital platforms.

Source: PublicInvest Research - 19 Jun 2020

Posted by Good123 > 2020-08-07 13:13 | Report Abuse

KUALA LUMPUR (July 29): Astro Malaysia Holdings Bhd plans to strengthen its position as the preferred entertainment destination for Malaysians, by deepening engagement with its 5.7 million customers via new experiences like its 4K UHD and cloud recording, as well as more value and convenience.

"Our content and broadband bundles offer even more value and convenience, as well as unlock our rich On Demand library of over 50,000 titles. Meanwhile, NJOI, our freemium TV service, offers Malaysians a compelling free TV proposition with options to purchase additional channels and content," Astro group chief executive officer Henry Tan said in a statement after the group's annual general meeting today.

Astro, which has three exclusive streaming services — namely Astro GO, HBO GO and iQIYI — is also planning to introduce more streaming services for its customers soon.

Meanwhile, the group is optimistic that its e-commerce platform Go Shop, which it said performed well during the Movement Control Order (MCO) period, will sustain the positive trend.

Even as supply lines were disrupted, Go Shop pivoted to health-related products, fresh food and daily essentials as demand picked up, the group said.

Astro further said its swift response to support customers and Malaysians during the MCO was possible because of the critical building blocks put in place in financial year 2020 to strengthen both its household and individual offerings.

"We have shown ourselves to be agile and responsive, driven by technology and digital; and leveraging on Astro's strengths — namely content, market reach and marketing capabilities.

"Astro is more than just a platform. Going forward, our focus is to produce more winning and compelling content; and concurrently innovate and simplify our offerings and customer experience," Tan said.

"We will aggregate more streaming OTT (over-the-top) services to be the digital content provider of choice. We will also continue to [optimise costs], pursue active capital management and reprioritise capex to ensure financial headroom for a challenging year ahead," he concluded.

Astro shares closed at 78.5 sen, down 0.5 sen or 0.63%, giving the group a market capitalisation of RM4.09 billion. Year-to-date, the counter has retreated 38.19% from RM1.27.

Posted by Good123 > 2020-08-07 13:14 | Report Abuse

coming QR (may, June

Posted by Good123 > 2020-08-07 13:15 | Report Abuse

Still, based on the reduced dividend forecast for the current financial year, ASTRO is presently trading at a generous dividend yield of 7.2%, thus providing near-term share price support

Posted by Good123 > 2020-08-07 13:44 | Report Abuse

pengarah Dan kwsp juga Beli syer aeon berterusan, yakinlah

Posted by Good123 > 2020-08-07 13:45 | Report Abuse

pengarah Dan kwsp juga Beli syer astro seperti Aeon, yakinlah

Posted by Good123 > 2020-08-07 13:58 | Report Abuse

Astro Malaysia Holdings Berhad (“Astro”) is Malaysia’s leading content and consumer company, serving 5.7 million or 75% of Malaysian households across our TV, radio, digital and commerce platforms.

Astro Malaysia Holdings Berhad (“Astro”) is Malaysia’s leading content and consumer company, serving 5.7 million or 75% of Malaysian households across our TV, radio, digital and commerce platforms.

As a trusted brand, Astro keeps Malaysians entertained and informed with a variety of vernacular, international and live sports content, engaging with 24 million individuals. In 2019, we elevated customer viewing experience by launching the Ultra Box, our latest 4K Ultra High Definition (4K UHD) Set-top box with Cloud Recording, and introduced content-broadband bundles to cater to customers’ needs. With three exclusive streaming services, Astro GO, HBO GO and iQIYI, we have the largest customer base for video streaming services in Malaysia, with over 2.6 million registered users.

Astro Radio houses Malaysia’s highest-rated radio brands across all key languages, available on terrestrial with 16.9 million weekly listeners and on digital with 3 million monthly digital radio users. Our multilingual entertainment and lifestyle app, SYOK offers access to all our radio brands as well as podcasts and original videos. Our digital brands host 11.6 million digital monthly unique visitors while Go Shop, our home shopping and commerce business, engages with 2.2 million shoppers.

As the leading movie producer in Malaysia, Astro is committed to raising the standard of local films with blockbusters such as Hantu Kak Limah, BoBoiBoy Movie 2, Paskal, Polis Evo 2 and award-winning The Garden of Evening Mists. In FY20, Astro Shaw garnered 50% share of the local box office sales.

Astro was voted by consumers as Malaysia’s Brand of the Year and Platinum winner in Media Network category, and was inducted into the Putra Hall of Fame for its 10th consecutive win at the Putra Brand Awards 2019. Our foundation, Yayasan Astro Kasih advocates long-term impactful endeavours guided by its key pillars of lifelong learning, community development, sports and environment.

Posted by Good123 > 2020-08-07 14:01 | Report Abuse

Key Highlights:

Malaysia’s MCO Entertainment Destination: Astro kept Malaysians informed and entertained with complimentary viewing of Movies, News, Learning and Stay Home Concert channels while NJOI customers received complimentary viewing of additional channels. During this time, Astro GO was made available for free to all Malaysians, attracting over 250k new users. As a result, both viewership and engagement grew across linear, On Demand and OTT. NJOI, our freemium service, increased its prepaid channels by 50% y-o-y to over 60, and saw prepaid buys rise 20% during the MCO. TV viewership share rose 1 percentage point y-o-y to 74%, On Demand titles streamed rose 119% to 35mn while average weekly time spent increased by 15% to 556 minutes. Astro GO’s monthly average users rose 31% to 1.2mn while average weekly viewing time spent increased by 12% to 191 minutes. The SYOK app garnered over 318k monthly active users, which equates to a 16% Q-o-Q growth.

Live Sports is Back: More major sports events are making a comeback. The 2019/20 Premier League season restarted on 18 June, and Astro will air the remaining 92 matches. The Group has also resumed the live broadcast of other major football leagues such as Bundesliga, K-League, La Liga, as well as Serie A when it resumes on 20 June.

Challenging Adex and Market Conditions: Consistent with the contraction in business, Astro experienced a 38% y-o-y decline in Adex to RM90mn as advertisers pulled back spending. Although Adex declined, Astro Radio’s Radex share increased by 4 percentage points to 84%.

Uplift in Commerce: Leveraging on the surge in online shopping during the MCO, Go Shop launched a new channel dedicated to Ramadan and Raya products and expanded its offerings to include fresh and frozen food. It also launched an e-Bazaar to support SMEs during this trying time by helping them reach its 2.4mn customers. Go Shop registered a 14% y-o-y growth in Q1FY21 revenue to RM95mn.

New Broadband

Posted by Good123 > 2020-08-07 14:01 | Report Abuse

The Group has been agile in adapting to the new normal, allowing us to deepen our engagement with our customers, strengthen our value proposition and to seize opportunities for adjacencies in commerce, broadband, digital and OTT post MCO. Astro will proactively pursue disciplined cost optimisation and active capital management to further strengthen our financial position.

Posted by Good123 > 2020-08-07 14:06 | Report Abuse

wow, pengarah Ada niat mau Beli syer astro lagi Dalam closed period ini. diumumkan  6399    ASTRO    ASTRO MALAYSIA HOLDINGS BERHADDEALINGS IN LISTED SECURITIES (CHAPTER 14 OF LISTING REQUIREMENTS)DEALINGS IN LISTED SECURITIES (CHAPTER 14 OF LISTING REQUIREMENTS)
NOTIFICATION OF DEALINGS IN SHARES BY A DIRECTOR OUTSIDE CLOSED PERIOD
You are advised to read the entire contents of the announcement or attachment.
To read the entire contents of the announcement or attachment, please access
the Bursa website at http://www.bursamalaysia.com

05/08/2020   07:00 AM

Ref Code: 202008053000220

Posted by Good123 > 2020-08-07 14:17 | Report Abuse

Ananda belum trade lagi. tunggu dia, :)

Posted by Victor Yong > 2020-08-07 14:20 | Report Abuse

Date Close
Today RM1? Possible? :)
06/08/2020 0.76
05/08/2020 0.76
04/08/2020 0.755
03/08/2020 0.765
30/07/2020 0.795
29/07/2020 0.785
28/07/2020 0.79
27/07/2020 0.795
24/07/2020 0.805
23/07/2020 0.815
22/07/2020 0.80
21/07/2020 0.79
20/07/2020 0.805
17/07/2020 0.805
16/07/2020 0.805
15/07/2020 0.815
14/07/2020 0.815
13/07/2020 0.835
10/07/2020 0.84

Posted by Good123 > 2020-08-07 14:24 | Report Abuse

mungkin jika Ananda tawarkan rm1 untuk diswastakan walaupun harga sasaran adalah rm1.55 oleh publicinvest

Posted by Good123 > 2020-08-07 14:28 | Report Abuse

if Ananda do the same like the umno guy appointed as chairman of Boustead, consider privatisation tapi tak muktamad, astro juga terus naik

Posted by Good123 > 2020-08-07 14:32 | Report Abuse

right time for Ananda to do it again Ananda, Khazanah Nasional and bumiputra foundations collectively own 70.7% equity in Astro. Ananda, Astro's largest shareholder, bought 16.1 million Astro shares since June this year, thereby increasing his shareholding in Astro to 41.2%.Nov 2, 2018

Posted by Good123 > 2020-08-07 14:40 | Report Abuse

jika berlaku, melambunglah. Observers say a merger between Astro and Maxis will result in a company that is strong in telecommunications and broadcasting. As more people consume content through their data network, the merger will allow Astro to become a full-fledged data-based broadcaster.Dec 25, 2018



https://www.theedgemarkets.com › ...

Why a merger between Astro and Maxis is being talked about | The Edge ...

Posted by Good123 > 2020-08-07 14:47 | Report Abuse

kenapa astro? pengabungan dengan maxis, penswastaan Dan astro juga Dah menembusi pasaran filipina, Indonesia, dll Yang berpenduduk padat. lagipun, tak pernah rugi Setiap tahun. juga pasti bayar Dividen, tak pernah gagal

Posted by Good123 > 2020-08-07 14:48 | Report Abuse

banyak kemungkinan seperti dijelaskan tadi

Posted by Good123 > 2020-08-07 16:09 | Report Abuse

coming Q2(may, June

Posted by Good123 > 2020-08-07 16:19 | Report Abuse

Q1 for astro from Feb to April ( still profitable although fell exactly in MCO) Q2 from may to July will be much better.

Posted by Good123 > 2020-08-07 16:22 | Report Abuse

rather park with astro . reduce risk

Posted by Good123 > 2020-08-07 16:23 | Report Abuse

waiting for privatisation, merger with maxis or founder buyback more shares plus better q2 results, may to July for astro

Posted by Good123 > 2020-08-07 16:26 | Report Abuse

ex-date for Dividend should be next month like last year. Interim Dividend

ASTRO MALAYSIA HOLDINGS BERHAD
EX-date27 Sep 2019Entitlement date30 Sep 2019Entitlement time05:00 PMEntitlement subjectInterim DividendEntitlement descriptionSecond Interim Single-Tier Dividend of 2 sen per ordinary sharePeriod of interest payment  to  Financial Year End31 Jan 2020Share transfer book

Posted by Wonderful > 2020-08-07 16:26 | Report Abuse

who care? unless astro divert to globe or medic product then ppl will come back goreng. now got to wait long long....

Posted by CUTLOST > 2020-08-07 17:11 | Report Abuse

Monday buy call.. 72cts

Posted by Good123 > 2020-08-07 17:40 | Report Abuse

Ananda punya anak lelaki Sami Buddha. mungkin Ananda Akan gabungkan astro dengan maxis, senang. satu listed company Dah cukup. tunggulah :)

Posted by Good123 > 2020-08-07 18:15 | Report Abuse

so many M

Posted by Victor Yong > 2020-08-07 18:49 | Report Abuse

Has this been carried out in Malaysia like Singapore?

MCMC is deciding to ban illegal Android TV Boxes in Malaysia

in Contents & Applications, MCMC/SKMM 23/07/2019 Comments Offon MCMC is deciding to ban illegal Android TV Boxes in Malaysia

The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) is said to be deciding on the ban of illegal, uncertified Android TV boxes in the country.

According to Maybank Investment Bank (IB) Research, the regulator is in talks with Internet Services Providers (ISPs) to deny Internet access to Android TV boxes – a move that will ultimately benefit players such as Astro Malaysia Holdings Bhd, reported TheStar.

“Though we prefer the banning of Android TV boxes, these two developments ought to bode well for TV subscription revenue,” the research house said in a note yesterday. Maybank IB Research noted that TV subscription revenue accounts for about 75% of Astro’s revenue. The research house noted that MCMC has been ramping up efforts to combat content piracy, with more measures to come. “We also implore MCMC to investigate e-commerce websites that sell Android TV boxes.”

It is estimated that Astro holds about 77% of the domestic pay-TV market, while the rest is controlled by Telekom Malaysia Bhd through unifi TV. Another part of the market is dominated by over-the-top providers (OTTs) such as Netflix and iflix.

Over the past few months, MCMC has been focused on combating content piracy.

As of February 2019, MCMC has blocked 246 sites that were hosting unauthorised screening of movies, documentaries and news over the set-top box.

Most recently, a local company and two (2) of its directors were fined RM35,000 for owning 79 units of non-certified Android TV boxes with the intention to sell at Digital Mall, Petaling Jaya, Selangor.

Android TV set-top boxes is a device that connects to a TV or a monitor, allowing users to stream contents such as live TV, movies, TV series and music from a local storage (USB/NAS) or from the Internet, at a cost or for free. It also allows a user to install apps and surf the Internet.

Android TV boxes without SIRIM certification are considered illegal and uncertified. Android TV boxes that connects and stream from pirated content websites are illegal and goes against the Copyright Act 1987. Similarly, users who download or access pirated contents are illegal in Malaysia. Users who are found to be using the illegal Android TV boxes are liable under Section 239 of the Multimedia and Communications Act 1998. Furthermore, consumers who access pirated content risk getting affected by malware that can be used to participate in criminal activities, all without the user’s knowledge.

In Singapore last year, the High Court ordered Internet service providers to block access to TV box applications that allow users to stream and download pirated contents, following a motion filed in October by Singnet, Fox Networks Group Singapore, NGC Network Asia, Fox International Channels (US) and The Football Association Premier League.