Complaint on Failure to Apply Senior Citizen Concession Despite Presentation of MyKad - KTMB
Request for Goodwill Remedy and System/Training Improvement
Dear KTMB Customer Service Team,
I am writing to formally complain about an incident that occurred when my son purchased ETS/Intercity train tickets for my wife and me at a ticket counter in Kuala Lumpur station for travel from Butterworth to KL Sentral.
My son provided our original MyKad (Identity Cards) when requested by the counter staff. At the time, I was 73 years old and my wife 71 and fully qualify for the Senior Citizen (Warga Emas) concession — 50% discount on adult fare for all classes except Business Class (20% discount), as stated in the latest KTMB Terms and Conditions (September 2025). The official policy clearly states that concession registration for senior citizens is available at any ticket counter with immediate approval upon presenting the original MyKad, and staff are supposed to handle the verification and registration on the spot for Malaysian citizens aged 60 and above. Once registered (valid for 3 years, renewable), the discount applies automatically on future bookings.
However, the counter staff issued the tickets at the full adult fare without registering or applying the concession. When I later raised this matter with the Station Master at Butterworth station (approximately 1 hour 40 minutes before departure), he brushed it off and said a refund or adjustment could only be processed if requested at least 2 hours before departure. This was not a standard cancellation request — it was a clear staff oversight on a concession that should have been handled immediately when the MyKads (Identity Cards) were presented.
This experience highlights a serious accessibility gap in KTMB's current system and processes:
The ticketing system does not auto-detect age or automatically apply the senior concession from an unregistered MyKad. Staff must actively register or select the concession.
While the official terms promise immediate counter registration for seniors, in practice busy counters, absent-minded, or insufficiently trained staff often result in such slips.
Many senior citizens in Malaysia — especially those who are less educated, from rural areas, not tech-savvy, or travelling without family help — are unaware of the exact registration requirement or the need to explicitly request "konsesi warga emas". They rely entirely on counter staff to assist them when they hand over their MyKad. Placing the full onus on passengers is unfair and unacceptable for this vulnerable group.
With so many unemployed or underemployed graduates in the country, "untrained staff" or "busy counters" should not be an excuse. KTMB, as a government-linked company, has a responsibility to train counter staff to proactively offer and process senior registration whenever a MyKad is presented by an elderly passenger (for example, a simple system prompt: “Encik/Puan warga emas? Boleh daftar konsesi sekarang — kelulusan segera”).
I kindly request:
A goodwill refund for the fare difference on the tickets in question (please refer to the ticket details below).
A review of staff training procedures to ensure proactive handling of senior concessions at counters.
Consideration of system improvements, such as an automatic flag/prompt when a senior MyKad is scanned at the counter, to reduce human error and better serve ordinary seniors.
I will register the concession at a counter so future trips are smoother, but this should not be necessary for every unaware senior.
Ticket details: K260308733617** T260329126434 (Luqman Michel
:K260308733617** T260342219679 (SitiMariam)
Counter: KLSGDPOS02- 303245NO
Travel date: 25.03.2026 (10 am)
Route: Butterworth to KL Sentral
Passengers: Luqman Michel & Siti Mariam
Attached: Credit Card Transaction Receipt
I look forward to your prompt reply within the next 7–10 days. If I do not receive a satisfactory response, I will escalate this matter to the Minister of Transport, YB Anthony Loke, as it affects many senior citizens who deserve better service from KTMB.
Thank you for your attention.
Best regards,
Luqman Michel
IC Number: xxxxxx5139
Email: luqmanmichel@gmail.com
Comments
If a refund isn't possible, they should at least have the decency to offer an upgrade to business class (if available), or perhaps a free meal voucher, or some form of compensation just to make up for what you overpaid... hahaha!
It's a shame that the minister in charge is often called to help mend and defend the very policies scuttled by his incompetent subordinates and their apathetic approach to public outcry.
I fully agree that when the government announces a senior citizen concession policy, the systems and staff at KTMB should be ready to implement it smoothly from day one. It shouldn’t fall on elderly passengers to chase after the discount they are entitled to.
Many seniors are not tech-savvy and rely on counter staff for help. A simple MyKad should be enough to trigger the 50% discount automatically or at least prompt the staff to apply it proactively.
My main hope with this complaint is that KTMB takes concrete steps to improve:
Staff training so that counter personnel consistently apply the senior concession without being asked, and
System upgrades or clearer procedures that make the process seamless for warga emas.
Public services should serve the public — especially our seniors — with dignity and efficiency. Let’s hope this leads to better implementation across the board.
Appreciate your support on this!
It is comments like yours that make it worthwhile writing.
Last year, my wife and I, together with several of our friends aged over 60, purchased train tickets from KL Sentral to Hat Yai using our IC details. Despite providing valid identification, the system failed to recognise our eligibility for the senior citizen discount, and we were charged the full fare.
This raises concerns about the reliability and accuracy of the verification system. If IC details are required during purchase, the system should be able to automatically detect and apply the appropriate discounts.
We kindly request a review of this matter, including clarification on how eligibility is verified, and whether a refund of the unclaimed discounts can be arranged.
We trust the relevant authority will take the necessary steps to improve the system and prevent similar issues in the future. Thank you.
This is exactly the kind of frustration many senior citizens are facing, and it highlights a deeper problem with the current KTMB ticketing system. When passengers are required to key in their IC numbers during booking, the system should automatically detect eligibility for the Warga Emas concession and apply it — especially for cross-border routes like KL Sentral to Hat Yai. Failing to do so is not just inconvenient; it defeats the purpose of having a senior citizen discount in the first place.
Your case also shows that even when seniors make the extra effort to provide identification upfront, the verification process is unreliable. This raises serious questions about the accuracy and fairness of the system.
I fully support your request for:
A proper review of how senior citizen eligibility is verified (especially for online/ETS bookings)
Clear guidelines on when and how the discount is automatically applied
A refund mechanism for cases where the concession was wrongly denied
Incidents like yours are unfortunately not isolated. Many seniors have reported similar problems — having to go to the counter in person, show their IC, or register separately, even though the system already captures their IC details.
We hope KTMB reads comments like yours and treats this seriously. Malaysia is modernising rapidly — our public transport ticketing system should reflect that by being senior-friendly, not senior-frustrating. Automatic IC-based concession application, better system integration, and simpler one-time registration (with proper safeguards) are very reasonable expectations in 2026.If you (or anyone else) have the ticket reference numbers or booking details, I strongly encourage you to write directly to KTMB Customer Service with a formal complaint and request for refund. Feel free to share their response here — it will help all of us push for meaningful change.
Thank you again for taking the time to comment. Voices like yours are important.