Source : @fahmi_fadzil
KUALA LUMPUR, October 25, 2026 — Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil has reminded Malaysians not to panic in an emergency, pointing them to the government’s SaveME 999 mobile application as a way to call for help when speaking on the phone or describing a location quickly is difficult.
In a video post shared on X on Sunday, Fahmi wrote: “Kecemasan? Jangan panik!” (Emergency? Don’t panic!). He said that in an emergency it can sometimes be hard to talk or to point out a location quickly, and that with SaveME 999 the public can send a request for help through their phone together with details such as their location, text, photos, videos or voice recordings.
What the app does
According to its listing on Apple’s App Store, SaveME 999 is a Malaysian government initiative for managing emergency services through a smartphone application. The listing says the app lets users request emergency help for fires, crime, medical assistance, humanitarian aid, emergencies at sea and other related services within Malaysia, as well as for incidents that put lives at risk or cause damage to property or the environment.
The listing names Jabatan Digital Negara (JDN), the National Digital Department, as the developer, and states that the app and its data belong to the Government of Malaysia and are operated by the Ministry of Communications. It adds that the app is specially designed to help people with visual and hearing impairments who need emergency assistance, and that its latest upgrade includes integration with MyDigital ID for more secure registration and log-in, a smoother sign-up process and an updated privacy policy.
Part of the next-generation 999 system
SaveME 999 sits within the Next Generation Malaysian Emergency Response Services 999 (NG MERS 999) platform. In a statement dated November 16, 2025, Telekom Malaysia (TM) said it had made the system available in collaboration with the Ministry of Communications, replacing the legacy MERS 999 system that TM also developed and operates.
TM said the enhanced SaveME 999 app gives Malaysians, including people with special needs, direct access to 999 operators through video, text and multimedia distress alerts with GPS data, while a separate Responder App supports real-time tracking and coordination among emergency agencies. The company said the upgraded system covers more than 800 locations nationwide, and stressed that members of the public may continue to call 999 as usual, with the app serving as an additional option, particularly for those who need accessible features.
Not a new project, minister said
Fahmi has previously defended the app against public criticism. Speaking to reporters in Kuala Lumpur on November 23, 2025, he said SaveME 999 was not a new development worth RM1.25 billion, as had been claimed, but had existed since 2013 and had only been improved, Bernama reported. RTM’s news portal quoted him as saying the improvements combined three earlier apps, SaveMEBlind, SaveMEDeaf and SaveMEPolice, to send location and emergency information digitally, and that the main costs involved data management and data centres rather than app development.
At the time, Fahmi also said he had asked TM to integrate MyDigital ID and to take public feedback on the app’s user experience into account, according to RTM.
A reminder against misuse
The official MERS 999 website, which links the 999 emergency number for the police, fire and rescue and other agencies to a single access point, also carries a warning against misuse of the line. It states that anyone found guilty of abusing the 999 number can be fined RM50,000, jailed for one year, or both, under Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.
Source : Fahmi Fadzil’s X (https://x.com/fahmi_fadzil/status/2114207562577101156), with additional reporting from Telekom Malaysia, Bernama, Berita RTM, the App Store listing for SaveME 999 and the MERS 999 website.
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