KUALA LUMPUR: Tourism and retail industry groups have urged the government to review the suspension of coach services operating at shopping malls, warning that the move could derail efforts to boost tourist arrivals ahead of Visit Malaysia 2026.
In a joint statement, the BB-KLCC Tourism Association, Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH), Malaysian Association of Hotel Owners (MAHO) and Persatuan Pengurusan Kompleks (PPK) said the directive to halt mall-based coach and bus services to outstation destinations would have a “tremendous negative impact” on tourism and retail businesses.
They said coach services from Singapore, Thailand and domestic destinations have long served as a key mode of travel for tourists, providing direct access to major malls and hotels across Malaysia.
“Singapore remains Malaysia’s largest tourist source market, with about 95% of its visitors identified as free and independent travellers who spend heavily on shopping and dining,” the groups said.
They noted that mall-based drop-off and pick-up points have been operating since 2006 at major Klang Valley malls such as 1 Utama, Sunway Pyramid, Berjaya Times Square and Nu Sentral, as well as Queensbay Mall in Penang.
According to the associations, approximately 20,000 passengers utilise these services monthly, contributing significantly to retail foot traffic and hotel stays.
“Malls are accessible, secure and offer convenient facilities such as restrooms, WiFi and food courts for waiting passengers,” they added.
The groups said suspending the service would “wipe out the tremendous efforts” by Tourism Malaysia to attract visitors and could damage the country’s reputation as a tourist-friendly destination.
They urged the authorities to consider the entire tourism and shopping ecosystem and reinstate coach access at malls as soon as possible.
On Nov 2, the Land Public Transport Agency (APAD) confirmed that luxury coach operator Aeroline had been ordered to suspend its services from Nov 6 to Dec 5.
The company had been operating from Corus KLCC, 1 Utama and Sunway Pyramid instead of the Terminal Bersepadu Selatan (TBS).
APAD said Aeroline had repeatedly picked up and dropped off passengers at unauthorised locations, breaching licence conditions under the Land Public Transport Act.
It added that the suspension was aimed at ensuring passenger safety, easing congestion and improving compliance with terminal regulations.
