PUTRAJAYA – Transport Minister Anthony Loke has said that the four states bordering Thailand – Kedah, Perak, Perlis and Kelantan – can write a letter to his ministry regarding their proposal to allow tour bus operators from the neighbouring country to enter Malaysia.
However, Loke has noted that current regulations prohibit the entry of such tour buses into the states’ borders, and altering these policies would pose significant challenges.
“(Based on) existing policies, we do not allow tour buses from Thailand to enter Malaysia. Those allowed are private vehicles, even then, (they are) allowed a certain distance from the borders.
“If the Kelantan state government feels a need for us to review the policy, they may write a letter to us (the MoT).
“However, a lot of technical issues need to be overcome, such as the driver’s licence, among others. Thorough research is required before a policy can be changed,” he told reporters during an event at the Le Meridien hotel in Putrajaya today.
Earlier, Kelantan’s Tourism, Culture, Arts and Heritage executive councillor Datuk Kamarudin Md Nor said that the four states would collectively appeal to the MoT to permit Thai tour buses to enter their borders.
This decision stemmed from feedback received from Thai tour agencies, which encountered regulatory obstacles from the Land Public Transport Agency following the prohibition on foreign tour buses.
Initially, the ban aimed to bolster the competitiveness of local tour bus operators. However, Kamarudin highlighted that local supply fell short of meeting demand, necessitating reconsideration of the restriction. – March 15, 2024