KUALA LUMPUR, 2 DECEMBER 2025 – The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA), strongly supports the call by the Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC), YB Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing, to restore MOTAC’s authority over tour vehicles’ regulations in Malaysia.
Nigel Wong, President of MATTA emphasised that tour transportation and vehicles require regulatory authority by a Ministry with deep understanding of tourism operations and visitors’ mobility, stating:
“Tourism vehicles are a critical part of the visitor experience. MOTAC is best placed to govern this sector, strengthen compliance, and ensure industry integrity.”
MATTA further urges the Government to reinstate MOTAC’s previous regulatory authority over tour vehicles, as exercised in earlier years. Under the procedures then under the Ministry responsible for tourism, cross-border operations involving Singapore and Thailand were clearly governed by the said Ministry, ensuring proper regulations, oversight and industry compliance. Foreign buses entering Malaysia were required to operate through a registered Malaysian ground handler or licensed local tourism company, guaranteeing that all travel arrangements, including itineraries and tour vehicle coordination, were managed by approved Malaysian travel agency companies in accordance with national tourism regulations.
This structure protected Malaysian tour operators, ensured proper coordination, and upheld safety and service standards. However, when regulatory authority was shifted from the then Ministry responsible to the Land Public Transport Agency (APAD), under another Ministry, many of these safeguards and regulations weakened, opening the door to inconsistencies, loopholes and foreign operators bypassing Malaysian travel companies altogether. MATTA stresses that returning these responsibilities to MOTAC will restore clarity, accountability and industry protection.
MATTA also expresses concern over increasing cross-border issues involving foreign tour vehicles that exploit regulatory gaps and compromise fair competition.
Singapore tour buses holding permits obtained from APAD have been observed operating beyond allowed routes, including selling tickets online and functioning like express services. Similarly, Thai vans have been entering Malaysia and conducting unlicensed tourism activities, picking up local passengers, and transporting tourists without certified Malaysian tourist guides all contrary to national regulations.
Additionally, non-tour vehicles such as school, factory and departmental buses have been crossing borders without meeting long-distance safety requirements or displaying proper classifications, creating confusion and enforcement challenges.
MATTA also highlights the misuse of the term “Travel & Tours” by unlicensed individuals and urges the Companies Commission of Malaysia (SSM) to restrict the designation to legitimate licensed travel companies by MOTAC.
MATTA notes that recent entry conditions imposed by Singapore’s Land Transport Authority (LTA), including vehicle reclassification demands that conflict with Malaysian regulations. Malaysia must ensure its operators are not subjected to such impractical requirements.
MATTA urges the Government to urgently integrate enforcement and regulatory systems across PUSPAKOM, APAD, MOT, MOTAC, JPJ and PDRM. A shared database covering permits, vehicle records and enforcement actions is essential to regulate and prevent illegal operations and strengthen cross border control ahead of Visit Malaysia 2026 and beyond.
MATTA also calls for MOTAC’s authority over tour vehicles to be embedded within a fully updated Tourism Industry Act 1992, ensuring clearer governance and stronger alignment with today’s tourism landscape and market practices.
“Malaysia’s tourism industry has been built by legitimate licensed tour operators for decades. Stronger enforcement and regulatory actions, fair cross-border treatment and restored authority to MOTAC are essential to protect our national interests in our tourism industry,” Wong added.
MATTA reiterates that the challenges faced today, involving cross-border tour vehicles, local non-tourism vehicles ferrying tourists, and unlicensed operators exploiting regulatory gaps, underscore the urgent need to return full regulatory authority to MOTAC. These issues are not confined to international borders but affect domestic tourism mobility nationwide. Restoring MOTAC’s powers will ensure that all tour transportation activities operate within a framework aligned with licensing requirements, industry best practices and tourism-specific expertise.
This is especially critical in states with active border movements such as Sabah, Sarawak, Johor and the northern regions, where stronger MOTAC-led regulation will address long-standing enforcement inconsistencies and strengthen the integrity of Malaysia’s tour transportation ecosystem. A unified, tourism-focused regulatory approach is essential to rebuild confidence, streamline enforcement and support Malaysia’s tourism growth in the years to come.