CelcomDigi CEO to step down after three years

Details: Manny Pham; Category: Operators; 22 August 2025; 6657 views

Malaysia operator CelcomDigi announced CEO Datuk Idham Nawawi (pictured) will step down from the market leader, citing personal reasons.

In a statement, the company said Nawawi will leave on August 31, after three years at the helm, during which he oversaw the integration of Celcom and Digi following their 2022 merger. He will remain as an advisor to the board until the end of November to support the leadership team during the transition phase.

Nawawi became CEO of Celcom in 2018 when it was still Celcom Axiata, joining from his previous role as Axiata’s group chief corporate officer. The operator hailed him for revitalising performance and driving a new way of operation. He was also credited with being instrumental in gaining regulatory approval for the Celcom–Digi merger.

Deputy CEO Albern Murty will assume the role of acting CEO from September 1, while continuing his duties as deputy.

CelcomDigi chair Tengku Dato’ Sri Azmil Zahruddin said Nawawi had “laid the foundation for future growth” for the operator.

On his departure, Nawawi said: “It has been an honour to lead CelcomDigi as the founding CEO, including the historic merger of Celcom and Digi—creating the largest telecommunications company in Malaysia and commemorating a landmark moment in our corporate history. I firmly believe that CelcomDigi is now on a strong footing to propel further as a market leader.”

In its recent Q2 results, CelcomDigi reported a total of 20.4 million subscribers. Around 6 million were postpaid mobile customers, 12.6 million prepaid, and 236,000 on broadband services. Total revenue was RM3.2 billion, a 2.3% year-on-year increase, while EBIT surged 12.3% YoY to RM736 million.