Hotlink (Maxis)
eSIMMalaysia's biggest carrier's prepaid brand — native MY number, passport KYC, China roaming data packs
Best for: Users who need a native Malaysian number (WhatsApp etc.) with real China-roaming data, and accept passport KYC plus ~RM60/year.
Overview
Hotlink is the prepaid brand of Maxis Berhad, Malaysia's largest mobile operator (launched 1999, own network — not an MVNO). Get the eSIM in-app for RM5 with passport KYC and a Malaysian address, top up RM20+ for signal, then buy roaming packs for China (e.g. RM100/40GB/30 days). Best keep-alive (per app): RM30 for 180 days with 30GB — about RM60/year. WhatsApp registration verified; Google SMS verification failed in testing.
Hotlink is the quality route to a native Malaysian +60 number: Maxis's own network (fast and stable in cities), full in-app onboarding, and roaming packs that actually work in mainland China — a 1-day 1GB pack tested at a genuine Malaysian IP (Maxis network) with Speedtest at 58.59 Mbps, fine for video or streaming.
Acquisition (2026-01 source review): install the Hotlink app on a native-eSIM phone (eSIM chips like Xesim/9eSIM are NOT supported), choose 'Activate or Get New SIM' → eSIM → RM5 plan → passport photo KYC → pick a number → enter email plus a Malaysian address found on Google Maps → pay by Visa/Mastercard. Key trap: after download the eSIM shows NO signal until you top up at least RM20 — smaller top-ups leave it dead, and it looks like failed activation.
Second trap: do NOT turn on data roaming before buying a roaming pack — base roaming rates silently burn your balance.
Roaming packs live under Home → Roaming → China: the value pick is 30 days / 40GB / RM100 (confirmed on the official roaming page 2026-09, now under the 'Over 100 countries' family; China also sits in the Asia+Pacific RM55/7d/15GB list). Per the current official single-country sheet, 1-day passes price at RM10 (ASEAN) / RM38 (other countries — China is in the RM38 tier); the earlier RM20/1GB/1-day China test pack no longer appears on the public price sheet.
Keep-alive: plain top-ups are poor value (RM10 = +30 days, RM5 = +5 days, ~RM120/year); the smart route is the 180-day 30GB pass at RM30 — about RM60/year (local validity passes are app-only and were not re-verifiable on public web pages as of 2026-09). A legendary RM30/365-day no-data pass has been delisted and no longer appears in-app.
Registration reality check: WhatsApp signup worked; Google account SMS verification failed even with balance — the source suspects the bundle only covers ordinary domestic P2P SMS, not short-code or international destinations. Passport KYC is mandatory.
Popular plans
| Plan | Data from | Validity | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| eSIM starter (in-app) | None until top-up | Requires RM20+ top-up for signal | RM5 (+RM20 top-up) |
| China roaming pack (best value) | 40GB | 30 days | RM100 |
| Single-country 1-day pass (China tier) | Zone quota (per official 1-day table) | 1 day | RM38 (2026-09 sheet; RM20/1GB test pack delisted) |
| Keep-alive pass | 30GB | 180 days | RM30 (~RM60/year) |
Pricing per Hotlink app as tested 2026-01; roaming-pass sheet re-verified on the official roaming/FAQ pages 2026-09-16: RM100/30d/40GB 'Over 100 countries' confirmed; single-country 1-day RM10 (ASEAN) / RM38 (other, incl. China); the former RM20/1GB/1-day China test pack and RM30/365-day no-data pass are both gone from public sheets. Local validity / keep-alive passes remain app-only and could not be re-verified on the web.
Pros
- Native Malaysian number on the country's largest own network
- Real China-roaming data with Malaysian IP, 58 Mbps verified
- RM30/180-day keep-alive with 30GB included is decent value
- Full in-app onboarding, WhatsApp registration verified
Things to note
- Passport KYC mandatory; eSIM chips (Xesim/9esim) not supported
- No signal until RM20+ top-up — looks like failed activation
- Google SMS verification failed in testing (intl/short-code SMS unreliable)
- Keep-alive rose to ~RM60/year after the RM30/year pass was delisted
- Never enable data roaming before buying a pack — balance burns
Key features
- Native Malaysian +60 number on Maxis's own network
- In-app eSIM activation with passport KYC (RM5 starter)
- China roaming packs: RM100/40GB/30d; 1-day China pass RM38 (2026-09 sheet)
- Keep-alive: RM30 pass = 180 days + 30GB (~RM60/year)