Proton Saga defies the 2026 market slump with a 38% sales surge! Discover the new 1.5L engine, Level 1 ADAS, and tech upgrades making it Malaysia’s top choice.

Tough Times, But Everyone Still Wants a Saga: Sales Jump 38% Despite a Slow Market

Malaysia is cutting the BUDI95 quota to 200L. While we argue over liters, the world is in "Energy Survival Mode." Is an EV your secret to beating the 2026 crisis?

Malaysia Is Angry… But The World Is Already in Energy Crisis

GWM Malaysia targets Top 10 status by 2028, launching 6 new SUVs starting with the Tank 300 HEV.

GWM Malaysia Eyes Top 10 Spot by 2028: 6 New Models to Launch, Led by Tank 300 HEV

<p class="p1" style="margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-language-override: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><img src="https://static-content-live.caricarz.com/media_library/post/21919/17062486/thumb-bus-tour-price-hike.png" style="width: 100%;" data-media-id="17062486" alt="thumb-bus-tour-price-hike.png"> <p class="p1" style="margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-language-override: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"> <p class="p1" style="margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-language-override: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">The legend of "cheap" group travel in Malaysia just hit a massive roadblock. As of March 30, 2026, the <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" href="https://malaysia.news.yahoo.com/malaysia-tourism-industry-announces-70-084244747.html" target="_blank">Malaysian Inbound Tourism Association (MITA) </a>has officially authorized a ceiling price hike of up to 80% for tour vehicles.<p class="p2" style="text-align: justify; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-language-override: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 15px;"> <p class="p1" style="margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-language-override: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">But why is a family trip to Genting or a company outing to Penang suddenly costing nearly double? It isn’t just "inflation", it’s a perfect storm of policy gaps and a global fuel crisis.<p class="p2" style="text-align: justify; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-language-override: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 15px;"> <h2 style="margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-language-override: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">The RM6.02 Reality: Diesel at a Record High</h2><p class="p2" style="text-align: justify; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-language-override: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 15px;"> <p class="p1" style="margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-language-override: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">Fuel overheads are the smoking gun behind these 80% rental hikes. Following the geopolitical volatility that began in February, Peninsular diesel has surged to <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.carz.com.my/2026/03/fuel-price-shock-diesel-spikes-to-rm552-unsubsidised-ron95-jumps-60-sen" target="_blank">RM5.52</a> per litre as of April 1. However, the 'ceiling' has just shifted again; starting midnight on April 2, prices will hit an all-time high of <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2026/04/01/fuel-prices-april-2-8-ron97-down-20sen-diesel-in-peninsula-up-50sen" target="_blank">RM6.02</a> per litre.<p class="p1" style="margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-language-override: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"> <p class="p1" style="margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-language-override: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">For a 44-seater tour bus that used to fill up at RM3.04/L just weeks ago, the math is brutal. Operators are now spending hundreds of ringgit more per trip, costs that they can no longer absorb if they want to keep their engines running.<p class="p2" style="text-align: justify; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-language-override: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 15px;"> <h2 style="margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-language-override: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">The "Subsidized" vs. "Excluded" Gap</h2><p class="p2" style="text-align: justify; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-language-override: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 15px;"> <p class="p1" style="margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-language-override: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">Here is the part that many consumers don't realize: Tour buses and vans are excluded from the national diesel subsidy mechanism.<p class="p2" style="text-align: justify; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-language-override: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 15px;"> <p class="p1" style="margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-language-override: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">While school buses, rapid transit, and essential goods lorries enjoy subsidized diesel at RM2.15/L via the Subsubsidi Diesel Kenderaan Darat (SKDS) 2.0 scheme, tour operators pay the full "floated" market price.<p class="p2" style="text-align: justify; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-language-override: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 15px;"> <p class="p1" style="text-align: justify; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-language-override: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">“We have to increase the daily tour bus fare by 70% to 80% depending on the destination. For example, the Kuala Lumpur-to-Ipoh tour bus used to cost RM1,500. Now it will cost RM1,900 while the Kuala Lumpur-to-Kuantan bus will now cost RM2,000, which are ceiling fares,” said <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2026/03/31/new-price-guidelines-for-tour-bus-and-van-operators#:~:text=%E2%80%9CWe%20have%20to%20increase%20the,000%2C%20which%20are%20ceiling%20fares." target="_blank">MITA</a> President, Mint Leong.&nbsp;<p class="p2" style="text-align: justify; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-language-override: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 15px;"> <h2 style="margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-language-override: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">Maintenance and "The Spare Part Surge"</h2><p class="p2" style="text-align: justify; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-language-override: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 15px;"> <p class="p1" style="margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-language-override: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">It’s not just the fuel. The automotive supply chain in 2026 is still grappling with higher costs for specialized spare parts and tires. For heavy-duty vehicles like tour buses that cover thousands of kilometers a week, maintenance schedules are non-negotiable for safety. Higher operating costs across the board mean that "cheap rentals" are becoming a thing of the past.<p class="p1" style="margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-language-override: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">

Malaysia's tour bus and van rates jump 80% as diesel hits a historic high.

Why Your Next Group Trip Costs 80% More: Diesel Hits Historic RM6.02 (April 2-8)

Will RON95 hit RM2.87? SERC warns of a "timed reality" for Malaysia's petrol subsidies. Break down the RM4 billion subsidy bill and what the 200L quota cut means for you.

Bye-Bye RM1.99? Why Your Petrol Subsidy is Now a 'Timed' Reality

MITI breaks its silence on the viral BYD "80% export" rumors. From the RM100k EV price floor to the truth behind the BYD Shark "ban," here is the official clarification on Malaysia's automotive future.

MITI Breaks Silence: The Truth Behind the '80% Export' Ultimatum

Transport Minister Anthony Loke confirms new amendments to Act 333 for DUI offenders.

DUI Offenders Face Direct Compensation to Families Under New Law

Proton's new RM1,200 extended warranty for the Saga MC3 offers 7 years of cover. We decode the costs, the 1.5L i-GT engine risks, and the resale value hacks.

RON97 Petrol Prices Increase By 4 Sen

Share This Article

Latest News

Tough Times, But Everyone Still Wants a Saga: Sales Jump 38% Despite a Slow Market

Proton Saga defies the 2026 market slump with a 38% sales surge! Discover the new 1.5L engine, Level 1 ADAS, and tech upgrades making it Malaysia’s top choice.

Sofea Najmi

03-04-2026

Malaysia Is Angry… But The World Is Already in Energy Crisis

Malaysia is cutting the BUDI95 quota to 200L. While we argue over liters, the world is in "Energy Survival Mode." Is an EV your secret to beating the 2026 crisis?

Sofea Najmi

03-04-2026

GWM Malaysia Eyes Top 10 Spot by 2028: 6 New Models to Launch, Led by Tank 300 HEV

GWM Malaysia targets Top 10 status by 2028, launching 6 new SUVs starting with the Tank 300 HEV.

Sofea Najmi

02-04-2026

Why Your Next Group Trip Costs 80% More: Diesel Hits Historic RM6.02 (April 2-8)

Malaysia's tour bus and van rates jump 80% as diesel hits a historic high.

Sofea Najmi

01-04-2026

Bye-Bye RM1.99? Why Your Petrol Subsidy is Now a 'Timed' Reality

Will RON95 hit RM2.87? SERC warns of a "timed reality" for Malaysia's petrol subsidies. Break down the RM4 billion subsidy bill and what the 200L quota cut means for you.

Sofea Najmi

01-04-2026

MITI Breaks Silence: The Truth Behind the '80% Export' Ultimatum

MITI breaks its silence on the viral BYD "80% export" rumors. From the RM100k EV price floor to the truth behind the BYD Shark "ban," here is the official clarification on Malaysia's automotive future.

Sofea Najmi

31-03-2026

DUI Offenders Face Direct Compensation to Families Under New Law

Transport Minister Anthony Loke confirms new amendments to Act 333 for DUI offenders.

Sofea Najmi

31-03-2026

7 Years of Peace of Mind: Why the Saga MC3’s New Warranty is a "Must-Have" Add-On

Proton's new RM1,200 extended warranty for the Saga MC3 offers 7 years of cover. We decode the costs, the 1.5L i-GT engine risks, and the resale value hacks.

Sofea Najmi

30-03-2026