Fomca Slams KTMB For Charging Purchase Fee Affecting Disabled, Seniors

The Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (Fomca) has criticized Keretapi Tanah Melayu Bhd (KTMB) for imposing an additional RM5 fee on passengers who purchase their tickets over the counter at train stations.

Fomca President N. Marimuthu told FMT that the association has received numerous complaints about this issue over the past two weeks. KTMB employees have informed complainants that they can avoid the fee by downloading the KTMB app.

The association contends that it is unreasonable to charge a fee for all over-the-counter transactions, and that it is unnecessary to require senior citizens and disabled Malaysians to pay the RM5 fee per ticket.

“Are the officers joking? How would a visually disabled person use an app? What makes matters worse is that others cannot use the app to book tickets for the disabled and senior citizens.

“Why is it so difficult to accommodate these groups of Malaysians, who do not comprise a big number overall? This is totally unacceptable to the most vulnerable groups of Malaysians,” he says in a FMT report.

Marimuthu stated that he had been informed that KTMB had spent a lot of money upgrading its infrastructure and introducing online services. If this is true, they want to recoup their capital expenditure, thus he questioned whether KTMB has a moral obligation to provide special consideration to disabled Malaysians and senior citizens, regardless of profit or loss.

“You should see how they are treated in developed countries,” he added.

In response to the issue, a KTMB representative highlighted the implementation of a cashless system this year and recommended that passengers purchase tickets online or through self-service kiosks to benefit from lower fares.
“Rest assured, our station staff are always ready to assist customers with care and efficiency to ensure a smooth and pleasant purchasing experience,” she said, when contacted by FMT.

Discounted rates are still available from KTMB for certain groups, including a 50% discount for the elderly, disabled, and retired people who have completed the online or in-person registration process.


Additionally, there is a 25% discount for firefighters, police officers, and members of the military, and a 40% discount for students, she added.