Tiong said that while the regulation of tour buses falls outside his ministry’s jurisdiction, the recurring traffic accidents involving these buses have adversely impacted the tourism sector.
Citing a recent incident, he noted that two Japanese tourism-related agencies, Nankai Electric Railway and JTB Corporation, temporarily suspended tour packages to Malaysia after their clients were involved in a tragic bus accident in Taiping, Perak, last month.
“It is crucial to resolve these safety issues, especially as Nankai Electric Railway plans to promote Malaysian tourism on its trains during the upcoming #2025OsakaExpo, and along routes to Tokyo’s Narita and Haneda International Airports, for the Visit Malaysia Year 2026 campaign,” he said.
“Ensuring the success of these initiatives, without being overshadowed by concerns over bus safety, is essential.
“To safeguard the recovering tourism industry, the ministry remains committed to finding solutions,” he wrote on Facebook today.
Tiong also disclosed that during a recent visit to Japan for the Tourism Resilience Summit in Sendai, he met with Naoto Ashibe, the representative director of Nankai Electric Railway Co, to personally apologise for the incident.
In the meeting, Tiong requested Ashibe to extend condolences to the affected tourists and assured him that Tourism Malaysia would assist with claims after the police investigation concludes.
Both Tiong and Ashibe discussed strategies to enhance bus travel safety, proposing measures such as requiring two drivers for trips exceeding eight hours, conducting alcohol and drug testing for drivers before shifts, and implementing video monitoring for long-distance routes.
They also suggested limiting driving hours, enforcing seatbelt use among passengers, and reducing the height of tour buses to improve safety standards.
On Oct 26, it was reported that a 73-year-old Japanese woman had succumbed to her injuries, after the tour bus she was in collided with a lorry at Km230 of the North-South Expressway (southbound), near Taiping, a day earlier.
The accident left 13 others injured, including 11 Japanese tourists, aged between 58 and 80. They were travelling from Penang to Cameron Highlands.