How long does number porting take in Malaysia?

MCMC's business rules set a maximum of 5 business days for a consumer and 10 for a business, with weekends counted and only national public holidays excluded. Most telcos now quote up to 48 business hours or 2 business days. Your old SIM keeps working until the switch, and you will know it is done when it loses signal.

Will I lose my prepaid credit if I switch?

Yes. MCMC's standard terms say any prepaid credit left with the old telco is forfeited, and CelcomDigi, Hotlink, U Mobile, unifi and Tune Talk all repeat this. Use up your credit and any data passes before you apply. Your prepaid line also needs to be active with unexpired validity, or the port will be rejected.

Why was my port-in request rejected?

The most common reasons are not replying correctly to the port-out SMS, an overdue or unbilled amount, an active contract, and ID details that do not match your old telco's records. In MCMC's figures for late 2020, a missed SMS reply, an overdue account and a wrong IC number together made up about 60% of rejections. Fix the cause with your old telco, then resubmit; unifi asks for resubmission within 7 days.

Switching Telco and Keeping Your Number in Malaysia 2026: The RM25 Cap, the SMS That Kills Most Requests, and What a Contract Costs to Leave

Q: How much does it cost to switch telco and keep my number?

MCMC's rules cap the porting fee at RM25 per number and allow only the new telco to charge it; your old telco may not charge you to leave. In practice Hotlink, U Mobile and Yes say switching is free, CelcomDigi postpaid adds a RM10 processing fee to the first bill (plus RM5 for a SIM from a store), and unifi prepaid charges RM10 through stores but nothing online.

Moving your number to another telco (MNP, or port-in) is governed by MCMC rules dating from 2008: only the new telco may charge, never more than RM25, and a consumer port must finish within 5 business days. Most telcos now say it is free and takes about 48 hours. What actually blocks people is an unpaid or unbilled amount, a device contract, a mismatched IC, or missing the port-out SMS reply. Here is the checklist, the exit-fee formulas and the port-in rebates still running.

Every new phone launch brings the same question: if another telco has the better bundle, can you move and keep your number? You can, and you have been able to since 2008. The process is called mobile number portability (MNP), and most telcos call it a port-in or "switch". It is usually quick. It also fails often enough that it is worth knowing why before you sign anything.

Everything below comes from the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission's own documents and from each telco's help pages and terms, all read on 21 October 2026.

What the rules actually say

MNP is governed by MCMC's Numbering and Electronic Addressing Plan, specifically NEAP Amendment Notice No. 2 of 2008, which sets out the MNP business rules. Four points matter to you:

Only the telco you are joining may charge a porting fee, and it cannot exceed RM25 per number. The telco you are leaving "is not allowed to impose any porting charges".
A consumer port must be completed within 5 business days, and a business port within 10. Business days here include weekends; only national public holidays are excluded.
Prepaid to postpaid and back are both allowed, but any prepaid credit left with the old telco is forfeited.
Principal and supplementary lines port together or not at all. If one line fails a check, the whole request is rejected.

The rules also bar your old telco from harassing or enticing you while you are porting out, and limit any lock-in contract the new telco offers to 12 months, alongside a no-commitment option.

Why requests get rejected

MCMC published a breakdown of rejections in a 2021 consultation report, covering the last quarter of 2020. The top three were no reply to the port-out SMS (31%), an overdue account (15%) and a wrong IC number (14%). Every telco's own list today says much the same. Before you apply, check that:

Your line is active. Do not terminate it first. A prepaid line also needs unexpired validity.
You owe nothing, including unbilled usage. Maxis tells you to settle "outstanding bills (including unbilled charges)".
You are not in a contract. A device plan, a rebate plan, or a mobile line bundled with home broadband all count.
Your ID matches exactly. Use the same MyKad, passport, or police or army ID that the number is registered under. Only the registered owner can apply.
You are the principal line holder, and you are moving every supplementary line with you, or have split them off first.

What leaving a contract costs

If you are mid-contract, you must end it and pay the early termination charge before you port out. CelcomDigi says to visit a store to terminate first, then port. The formulas are published:

Maxis Zerolution: the phone's recommended retail price divided by 24, times the months left, plus a device non-return fee. Maxis's own example is RM3,456 ÷ 24 × 3 = RM432.
Maxis and Hotlink Device Contract: (RRP minus upfront payment) times the remaining months over 24.
U Mobile: (RRP minus U Mobile's selling price minus upfront payment) divided by the contract months, times the months left. The month you terminate counts as a remaining month.
unifi device plans: (RRP minus the device selling price) divided by the contract months, times the months left. unifi's example: (RM1,599 minus RM499) ÷ 24 × 12 = RM550.
CelcomDigi Easy360 and Pakej MegaJimat: based on the remaining monthly commitment fee for the rest of the contract.

Do the sum before you accept a rebate from the new telco. A RM120 port-in rebate does not cover a RM432 exit charge.

The port, step by step

Apply with the new telco online, in its app or at a store. Ask to keep your number. Online orders usually start the port only after your new SIM is delivered.
Do not insert the new SIM yet. Keep using your old one.
Watch for the port-out SMS from your old telco and reply exactly as it says. Replies are case-sensitive and the formats differ. Celcom and Digi want "PortOut YES" followed by your number; Maxis wants "PortOut Yes" and your number; U Mobile uses "Port Out Yes" and your number; unifi uses "PortoutYES"; Tune Talk just "Y". Yes says you have 24 hours to reply and Tune Talk says 24 to 48. If you miss it, some telcos resend; Yes says you must submit a new request.
When your old SIM loses signal, put in the new one. Hotlink describes this as the sign the switch is ready.
Pay the old telco's final invoice. U Mobile and Yes both warn that unpaid usage after you leave can get you blacklisted.

Most telcos now quote up to 48 business hours or 2 business days, with service running on the old SIM until the switch. U Mobile advises porting at least 14 working days before you travel overseas, and CelcomDigi advises against switching close to a trip because roaming can be affected.

Fees and port-in rebates, telco by telco

Nobody we checked charges the full RM25. Hotlink, U Mobile and Yes say switching is free. CelcomDigi postpaid puts a RM10 processing fee on your first bill, plus a RM5 SIM fee if you sign up in a store; CelcomDigi prepaid is free. unifi waives postpaid upfront payment for now, and its prepaid terms list porting as free online but RM10 through stores and dealers. Maxis's own pages do not state a fee.

Port-in rebates running on 21 October 2026, from each telco's own terms:

U Mobile: RM10 off for 12 months on ULTRA Postpaid, Global and Family plans, until 31 December 2026.
Hotlink Postpaid 75, online only: RM10 off for 12 months for port-ins, until 31 December 2026.
CelcomDigi: RM20 off for 6 months on Postpaid 5G 80 to 190 and One plans (RM10 for 6 months on 60 SE), "until further notice". Moving between Celcom and Digi does not qualify.
Yes: RM20 rebate for 6 billing cycles on Infinite plans, "until further notice".
Maxis: advertises RM10 off for 6 months on Postpaid 89 and above, but its linked terms still carry 2025 campaign dates, so confirm in store.

Rebates are typically forfeited if you downgrade, transfer ownership or terminate.

*Sources: MCMC, NEAP Amendment Notice No. 2 of 2008 and its MNP Industry Business Rules; MCMC Public Consultation Report on Fixed Number Portability (16 July 2021); help pages and terms and conditions of CelcomDigi, Maxis, Hotlink, U Mobile, Yes, unifi Mobile and Tune Talk, all read 21 October 2026.*

Telco	Time stated	Fee stated	Port-in rebate now	Rebate ends
CelcomDigi	Up to 48 working hours	Postpaid RM10 processing (+RM5 SIM in store); prepaid free	RM20 x 6 months (80-190, One)	Until further notice
Maxis	Most within 2 business days	Not stated	RM10 x 6 months (89 and above)	Not published
Hotlink	Up to 2 business days	Free	RM10 x 12 months (Postpaid 75, online)	31 Dec 2026
U Mobile	Up to 48 business hours	Free	RM10 x 12 months (ULTRA, Global, Family)	31 Dec 2026
Yes	1 to 2 business days	Free	RM20 x 6 cycles (Infinite)	Until further notice
unifi Mobile	Up to 48 business hours (other pages say longer)	Postpaid upfront waived; prepaid RM10 via store	None dated	-
Tune Talk	Up to 48 business hours	Not stated	None	-

Switching Telco and Keeping Your Number in Malaysia 2026: The RM25 Cap, the SMS That Kills Most Requests, and What a Contract Costs to Leave

What the rules actually say

Why requests get rejected

What leaving a contract costs

The port, step by step

Fees and port-in rebates, telco by telco

Related reads

Porting in, by telco: what each one's own pages say, read 21 October 2026

Frequently Asked Questions

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