Loke: Rapid KL cannot turn away foreigners, but disruptive passengers can face action

GEORGE TOWN: Transport Minister Anthony Loke has rejected calls to ban foreigners from Rapid KL buses, saying passengers who cause disturbances or behave indecently can face enforcement action.

He said auxiliary police could intervene against unruly passengers, while bus drivers could take appropriate action and refer offenders to the police when necessary.

"We are not an isolated country. How can we prohibit foreigners from taking the bus? That is an impossible proposal," he told reporters after launching Penang's first electric bus here today.

Loke was responding to complaints from Rapid KL commuters about alleged misconduct by some foreign passengers, including the misuse of public transport facilities, trespassing and behaviour that had left other passengers uncomfortable.

The issue has also sparked debate on social media following a Threads post alleging that a foreign child urinated on the ground before boarding a Rapid KL bus, after which the child's mother sat on the bus floor to change the child's clothes.

The account claimed other passengers wanted the driver to ask the pair to leave but alleged that the driver did not intervene.

Some commuters have called for Rapid KL to empower drivers to refuse boarding or ask passengers to disembark if they behave in an unruly or disrespectful manner, including children accompanied by their parents.

Loke said foreigners could not be barred from public transport as a group, but stressed that individual misconduct could warrant enforcement action.

He said passengers who behaved indecently or disturbed others could be detained where necessary and referred to the police.