KUALA LUMPUR (April 14): Malaysia’s government is rolling out a slew of measures ranging from rail fare discounts to aviation support to counter rising global fuel prices amid Middle East tensions.

Keretapi Tanah Melayu Bhd, the country’s main rail operator, will offer a 30% discount for journeys on the Electric Train Service (ETS) across all sectors as well as for the Ekspres Rakyat Timuran (ERT) route between JB Sentral and Tumpat, the Ministry of Transport said in a statement.

The discount applies to off-peak travel from Monday to Thursday and excludes all school holidays and public holidays to “ensure train capacity can be managed more systematically and efficiently especially during the peak period”, the ministry said.

The discount does not apply to ETS business class, ERT sleeper and first-class ticket, and concession ticket holders. Tickets must be purchased using a promotional code to be announced later and bookings are open from April 15 to April 30 for travel between April 15 and Oct 14.

Separately, Express Rail Link Sdn Bhd (ERL) will introduce two new monthly travel passes — MyPutrajaya and MyKLIA — offering unlimited travel with discounts of up to 90%.

The MyPutrajaya pass is aimed at civil servants working or residing in Putrajaya, while the MyKLIA pass is designed for Malaysians employed at Kuala Lumpur International Airport’s Terminal 1 and Terminal 2.

Meanwhile, the government will also maintain the My50 monthly pass that provides unlimited travel on rail and bus services in the Klang Valley operated by Prasarana Malaysia Bhd. Priced at RM50, the pass is valid for 30 days of unlimited use.

Prasarana will also maintain other initiatives like the Rapid Kota for short-term users priced at RM10 for a one-day pass, as well RM25 for a three-day pass. It will also maintain the Rapid Keluarga, a group pass designed to encourage family travel on weekends and public holidays at RM30.

Beyond rail, the government will also introduce temporary relief measures for the aviation sector following widespread flight disruptions.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia will extend payment terms for regulatory charges to 60 days from May 1 and offer a RM50 airfare rebate for Malaysian travellers flying between Peninsular Malaysia and East Malaysia during the Gawai and Kaamatan festive period.

The rebate, which requires an allocation of RM5 million, is expected to benefit 100,000 passengers purchasing flight tickets between May 15 and June 14.

Up to 75% of daily flights to the region were cancelled at one point in early March, the government noted, raising concerns over tourism demand and economic losses that could range between RM15 billion and RM150 billion this year if the disruptions persist.