KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 2 — The routine flow of passengers and train announcements at KL Sentral was given a festive twist yesterday with cultural dance performances held in conjunction with the Visit Malaysia 2026 (VM2026) campaign.
Upon arrival at the hall, Electric Train Service (ETS) passengers were also welcomed by senior officials from Tourism Malaysia and Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB), who handed out souvenir bags containing VM2026 promotional items.
Titus, a 30-year-old French tourist, described his journey on the ETS as an exciting experience that made travelling around Malaysia much easier.
“The train was fantastic, very convenient. I recommend that they (KTMB) increase the number of trains per day because that’s going to help more people. The service was excellent — very clean, professional, and the team was very nice.
“We stayed in Singapore for three days before taking the train from Johor Bahru and it was a really good experience,” he said.
Titus said he and his friends planned to explore Malaysia’s cultural and heritage attractions, try out the local food, and visit locations offering remarkable views.
Meanwhile, Tourism Malaysia Human Resources Division director Muhamad Nasir Pahmi said his team would continue to strengthen strategic collaboration with KTMB by offering innovative and engaging tourism packages.
“We view the partnership as highly positive, especially in terms of transportation, which plays a key role in introducing and promoting attractive domestic tourism packages,” he said.
To further boost the tourism sector, he said the government was implementing various initiatives through e-Tourism Malaysia, including grants such as Galakan Melancong Malaysia (Gamelan), as well as support grants for the craft and tourism sectors.
Muhamad Nasir said the grants were provided to assist local tourism industry players in enhancing their promotional and product development activities in conjunction with VM2026.
Meanwhile, KTMB chief operating officer Afzar Zakariya said the company expected the number of local and international passengers to continue rising following the addition of four ETS trains on the southern sector for the KL Sentral–JB Sentral–KL Sentral route.
“We anticipate a more encouraging increase in passengers with the improved ETS connectivity from southern hubs like Johor Bahru to key cities including Kuala Lumpur, Ipoh, Butterworth and Padang Besar.
“This increase is expected to continue throughout the year in conjunction with VM2026. Today marks the first day of the campaign, and it is the perfect opportunity for us to kick off VM2026 with KTMB at KL Sentral, which serves as the stop for 42 ETS trains daily,” he said.
Tourist welcoming ceremonies in conjunction with VM2026 were also held at several locations, including Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport in Subang, Terminal Bersepadu Selatan, Sultan Abdul Halim Airport in Alor Setar, Kedah, and Sultan Azlan Shah Airport in Ipoh, Perak.
