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Telecommunications Engineer

Jurutera Telekomunikasi · Kejuruteraan

Starting
RM3,200 - RM4,500
Senior
RM8,000 - RM17,000
Entry
Degree
Short answerA telecommunications engineer designs and maintains the networks that carry data — mobile towers and 5G, optical fibre, core networks, satellite and data centre infrastructure.
Route: a 4-year EAC-accredited engineering degree (telecommunications, electronic or electrical) → Graduate Engineer (BEM) → 3 years → the PAE → Ir.
This industry is also regulated by MCMC (the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission), which governs spectrum, licensing and standards — so your work operates inside a regulatory framework, not just a technical one.

What does a Telecommunications Engineer do?

Builds the 5G, fibre and satellite networks connecting the nation.

A day in the life

Telecom engineers build & maintain networks: 4G/5G towers, fibre optics, corporate networks.
A typical day: planning site coverage, drive-testing signal quality, resolving outages, managing installation vendors.
A mix of office, tower sites & server rooms.

Is this right for you?

A good fit if you: are into networks & how data moves, can do field work, and stay calm during major outages.
Less suitable if you: want a job with no midnight emergencies.

Salary & career ladder

The pay reality no college brochure prints
On Board of Engineers Malaysia figures reported by industry press, 35% of engineers have a starting salary below RM2,000. The Association of Consulting Engineers Malaysia (ACEM) has itself launched a Graduate Salary Pledge — an industry association does not make a salary pledge unless there is a real problem.
In wider context: DOSM reports that more than a third of Malaysian graduates are in skill-related underemployment.

But engineering absorbs better than most fields
Engineering-related fields show stronger early labour-market absorption than education, services, social sciences and humanities. The problem is not "no jobs" — it is low starting pay, and many never move up from it.

What actually raises your pay
1. Ir. The Professional Engineer title is the biggest structural divider in this career. It takes the degree + 3 years + the PAE, and it changes your ceiling permanently.
2. Industry, not just discipline. The same engineer can earn double depending on sector — oil and gas, semiconductors and multinationals pay far more than local consultancy.
3. The Washington Accord. BEM has been a signatory since 18 June 2009, so your EAC-accredited degree is recognised as substantially equivalent in other signatory countries including the United States, Australia, Canada and Japan. That is a real exit door.

Telecommunications income range
Fresh graduate RM3,000–4,500 · experienced network engineer RM5,000–9,000 · core/design specialist or senior vendor role RM9,000–18,000 · senior management RM18,000–30,000+.

Where the real premium sits
Equipment vendors (Ericsson, Huawei, Nokia) often pay more than operators, and give international exposure.
Core and IP networking pays more than site radio work alone, because it is harder and fewer people can do it.
Data centres — data centre networking is a fast-growing area in Malaysia that overlaps with telecoms.

The project cycle reality
Demand spikes during a new network generation rollout, then slows. That means pay and opportunity cycle too.
How to protect yourself: build IP networking, cloud and automation skills — not only generation-specific radio expertise. Modern networks are increasingly software, and engineers who follow that stay valuable across cycles.

City vs hometown

Networks span the country — telcos keep regional offices in every state, including Sabah/Sarawak (active rural tower projects).
HQ/planning in KL; operations & sites everywhere.

Study path after SPM / UEC

Telecommunications Engineering degreeThe full route
SPM (Maths, Add Maths, Physics) → pre-university or a polytechnic diploma → a 4-year EAC-accredited engineering degree → Graduate Engineer → 3 years → PAE → Ir.

Mandatory checks
EAC-accredited and 4 years.

Where the real work is in Malaysia
Network operators — Maxis, Celcom/Digi, U Mobile, TM. Network planning, operations, optimisation.
Contractors and tower providers — site build and maintenance. Field work, a lot of travel.
Equipment vendors — Ericsson, Huawei, Nokia and others. Solutions engineering, technical support, commissioning.
Data centres and enterprise networks — a fast-growing area in Malaysia.
Government and regulatory — MCMC and related agencies.

A reality to plan for
Telecommunications is a project-cyclical industry. When operators roll out a new network generation, demand spikes; between cycles it is slower. The engineers who last are usually those with IP networking skills rather than radio alone — because modern networks are increasingly data networks.

Related fields
Electronic — an overlapping foundation. Electrical if the power side appeals. IT networking and cybersecurity if the software side of networks appeals more than radio hardware.If you are taking the UEC instead of SPM
Everything above still applies to you — the subjects are the same disciplines, only a different exam paper. What changes is the route after it.
The UEC is not accepted for direct entry into a Malaysian public university degree. That is why independent school students overwhelmingly go to private universities in Malaysia, or abroad.
The UEC is treated as equivalent to STPM and A-Level, and it is recognised in the UK, the United States, Canada, Australia and Taiwan — which is why the overseas rate from independent schools is so high.
And the part that costs families real money — read this one properly:
PTPTN eligibility runs through SPM, and a UEC alone does not carry it. To keep the loan available you need a complete SPM, which means two things people get wrong:
Sejarah must be passed. Since SPM 2013 a pass in Sejarah (minimum E) is compulsory for the certificate itself — fail it and you do not have a complete SPM at all.
Bahasa Melayu is usually required at credit (grade C), not merely a pass.
The institution and programme must also be PTPTN-recognised — check that on the PTPTN gateway before you commit to a college.
The UEC route pushes you towards a private degree, and PTPTN is what pays for it. If you have not sat SPM, sit it — and do not treat Sejarah as the throwaway paper.
These conditions change. Verify the current rules with PTPTN before relying on any of this.

Universities

UTM, UKM, UPM, MMU (known for telecom), UniMAP.
Network certs (CCNA) add value even while studying.

Tuition fees

Public: RM1,500–RM4,000 per year; private RM70,000–RM110,000.

Scholarships

JPA/MARA/Khazanah; Yayasan TM & telco programmes for related fields.

Certification & licence

Registration of Engineers Act 1967 — and what most students do not know
Malaysian law requires every practising engineer to be registered with the Board of Engineers Malaysia (BEM), at minimum as a Graduate Engineer. Yet industry reporting puts the share of engineering graduates who actually register at around 35%.
That means the majority are working without starting the experience clock that counts toward Ir. — and those hours are not easily backdated.

The three-step ladder
1. Graduate Engineer (GE) — register as soon as you receive your degree, through the online MyBEM system. This is the step most people delay and most later regret.
2. At least 3 years of supervised practical experience in telecommunications.
3. The Professional Assessment Examination (PAE) — now administered by IEM on BEM's behalf. Pass it and you become a Professional Engineer (Ir.).

Why the Ir. title matters
Only a Professional Engineer may sign off and submit official plans, practise independently, and hold certain senior positions. Without Ir., your career ceiling is low and fixed.

The check to make before paying fees
Your programme must be EAC-accredited. And note one specific thing: only 4-year engineering programmes are accredited by BEM. A 3-year "engineering" degree will not qualify you to register — and students usually find out only after graduating.

Pros

Cons

Future & the AI era

AI-driven self-optimising networks cut manual tuning.
But the data-centre & 5G/fibre boom creates bigger new demand — especially for cloud + network hybrids.

Step by step, and how long each takes

  1. SPM — Add Maths is not optionalSPM
    Maths, Additional Maths and Physics are the absolute core. Chemistry is needed for some disciplines.
    Add Maths is the subject that most often blocks students from engineering — not because it is compulsory on paper in every route, but because without its foundation the first year of an engineering degree (calculus, mechanics, linear algebra) becomes very hard.
  2. Pre-university1–2 tahun
    Matrikulasi, Engineering Foundation, STPM, A-Level, or an engineering diploma (polytechnic).
    The diploma route deserves attention: a 3-year polytechnic diploma after SPM can articulate into a degree with credit exemptions. It is cheaper, and you are working earlier if you need to pause.
    UEC students: UEC is not accepted for public university entry except Chinese Studies — for engineering at a public university you need STPM, Matrikulasi or A-Level. Private universities accept UEC.
  3. Telecommunications / Electronic Engineering degree (must be 4 years & EAC-accredited)4 tahun
    This is the single most important check in the whole route.
    The programme must be accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Council (EAC) — the only recognised engineering accrediting body in Malaysia, delegated by BEM. On record, BEM/EAC has accredited 356 programmes at 57 institutions.
    And most critically: only 4-year engineering programmes are accredited by BEM. A 3-year degree does not qualify you to register.
    Check the accreditation list on the BEM site before paying a deposit — not in your final year.
  4. Register as Graduate Engineer — do not delaySebaik graduasi
    Register with BEM through the MyBEM system as soon as you receive your degree.
    Industry reporting puts registration at around 35% of engineering graduates — despite the law requiring it. Those who delay lose the start of the experience clock that counts toward Ir.
    This is a near-free step that takes an hour and saves years.
  5. Supervised practical experience≥3 tahun
    At least 3 years of practical experience in telecommunications and networks, under the supervision of a Professional Engineer.
    Keep a work log from day one. The PAE application requires structured evidence of experience, and reconstructing three years of records from memory is an avoidable nightmare.
  6. PAE → Professional Engineer (Ir.)Selepas itu
    Sit the Professional Assessment Examination (PAE), now administered by IEM on BEM's behalf. Pass it and you become Ir.
    This is where engineering careers genuinely split in two: those with Ir. can sign plans, practise independently and move into senior roles; those without stay on a much lower ceiling for the rest of their careers.

Key SPM subjects

Matematik, Matematik Tambahan, Fizik

Add Maths →Matematik →Physics →

Questions students actually ask

Is there still opportunity in 5G?
Yes, but its shape shifts from build-out to optimisation and applications.
The early tower build phase produces a demand spike for site and rollout engineers. That phase cycles.
What continues: network optimisation, enterprise capability (private networks for factories, ports, hospitals), network slicing, and the applications that actually use the capability.
Practical advice: do not learn only one generation's technology. Each network generation becomes more software-based, and engineers with IP, cloud and automation skills survive generational transitions. Those who know only one generation's radio do not.
Is telecoms work field-heavy?
It depends entirely on the role, and students should choose consciously.
Field-heavy: site build, commissioning, tower maintenance, drive testing for optimisation. Lots of travel, outdoor work, sometimes climbing.
Office-heavy: network planning, core engineering, performance management, solutions engineering at a vendor.
Mixed: network optimisation and technical support.
If field work does not appeal, steer yourself toward core, planning or vendor roles early. That is an easier decision to make in year one than year five.
Will AI replace telecoms engineers?
It has already changed this field substantially — modern networks use machine-learning-based automation and optimisation extensively.
What changes: radio parameter optimisation, fault detection, capacity allocation, and first-level troubleshooting. Self-healing networks are no longer a concept.
What remains: architecture design, investment decisions, cross-vendor integration, and physical work — towers, fibre and hardware still need humans to install and repair them.
Practical conclusion: routine operations roles will shrink. Design, automation and integration roles grow. Make sure you are in the second group — learn network automation rather than only manual operations.
Do telecoms engineers need Ir.?
Less critical than in civil or electrical engineering, but still worth it for senior roles, consultancy and projects requiring certification.
At operators and vendors, progression depends more on technical expertise and project management.
Register as a Graduate Engineer regardless — the law requires it and it starts your experience clock. Only about 35% of graduates do.
Vendor certifications matter in this field too — network certifications from equipment vendors and IP/networking certifications are often more immediately useful for employment than Ir.
Practice SPM Add Maths →K1 papers + AI answers · 3 languages

Where to study — universities and total fees

University Course Total fees Duration Location
AIMST UniversityDiploma · Diploma in Electronic & Computer EngineeringRM 21,1502.5 yearsSungai Petani, Kedah
Multimedia University (MMU)Diploma · DIPLOMA IN ELECTRONIC ENGINEERINGRM 25,1002 Years & 9 MonthsCyberjaya, Selangor / Melaka
SEGi University & CollegesDiploma · Diploma in Electrical and Electronics EngineeringRM 29,2503 YearsKota Damansara / KL / Subang / Penang / Sarawak
INTI International University & CollegesDiploma · Diploma in Electrical & Electronic EngineeringRM 37,4402.3 yearsNilai / Subang / Penang
SEGi University & CollegesDegree · B.Eng (Hons) Electronics and Electrical Engineering (3+0)RM 47,5503 YearsKota Damansara / KL / Subang / Penang / Sarawak
UCSI University / UCSI CollegeDegree · BACHELOR OF MICROELECTRONIC TECHNOLOGY WITH HONOURSRM 72,5603 YearsCheras, Kuala Lumpur
Multimedia University (MMU)Degree · BACHELOR OF ENGINEERING(HONS) ELECTRONICSRM 76,0004 YearsCyberjaya, Selangor / Melaka
INTI International University & CollegesDegree · 3+0 BE (Hons) in Electrical & Electronic Engineering, Coventry University, UKRM 76,5383 YearsNilai / Subang / Penang
UOW Malaysia (KDU)Degree · Bachelor of Electrical and Electronics Engineering with HonoursRM 93,0404 yearsGlenmarie, Selangor
MAHSA UniversityDegree · Bachelor of Electrical & Electronic Engineering with HonoursRM 93,4004 yearsBandar Saujana Putra, Selangor
Xiamen University MalaysiaDegree · Bachelor of Electrical and Electronics Engineering (Hons)RM 112,0004 yearsBandar Sunsuria, Sepang, Selangor
Asia Pacific University of Technology & Innovation (APU)Degree · Bachelor of Engineering in Electrical & Electronic Engineering with HonoursRM 118,8004 YearsBukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur
Sunway CollegeDegree · Bachelor of Electronic and Electrical Engineering with HonoursRM 126,7404 Years (full-time)Bandar Sunway, Selangor
Curtin University MalaysiaDegree · Bachelor of Electrical and ElectronicRM 135,6004 YearsMiri, Sarawak
Sunway UniversityDegree · Bachelor of Electronic and Electrical Engineering with HonoursRM 144,8004 Years (full-time)Bandar Sunway, Selangor
Taylor’s University / Taylor’s CollegeDegree · Bachelor of Electrical and Electronic Engineering (Honours)RM 160,4164 yearSubang Jaya, Selangor
Swinburne University of Technology SarawakDegree · BACHELOR IN ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC ENGINEERINGRM 162,5604 YearsKuching, Sarawak
Heriot-Watt University MalaysiaDegree · MEng Electrical and Electronic EngineeringRM 180,0004 yearsPutrajaya
University of Nottingham MalaysiaDegree · MEng (Hons) in Electrical and Electronic EngineeringRM 220,0004 YearsSemenyih, Selangor
University of Southampton MalaysiaDegree · MEng Electrical and Electronic Engineering (2+2)RM 370,3524 yearsIskandar Puteri, Johor

Fees are a guide only and change every year. Confirm the current figure with the university before you decide.

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Sources

Figures and policy on this page are checked against these reports. Last reviewed 2026-09.

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