Malaysia's transport ministry has faced a barrage of recent criticism, including accusations that it is not doing enough to address frequent train breakdowns and drink-driving laws, but online rumours that the agency will soon change the name of the country's rail operator to improve its image are baseless. Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) told AFP it has no plans to change its name, and social media posts claiming otherwise share an AI-generated front page from newspaper Berita Harian -- a common template for disinformation in Malaysia.
"Latest: Malaysia's Ministry of Transport plans to change the name of Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) to Keretapi Malaysia Berhad (KMB), as the term 'Tanah Melayu' is believed to be racial," reads a Malay-language headline of what appears to be the front page of local daily Berita Harian.
The purported report, dated May 26, 2025 and shared August 8, 2026 on Facebook, says the proposal is one of the latest measures to strengthen the rail operator's corporate image and to emphasise a more inclusive national identity.
" Tanah Melayu", which translates to "Malay Land," is a term often used by nationalists to argue that Malaysia is the historical homeland of the Malays ( archived link).
But Malaysia is a multiracial country, with Bumip uteras -- ethnic Malays and Indigenous people -- making up the majority, followed by Chinese and Indian communities ( archived link).
Similar posts spread elsewhere on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok as the...
Malaysia's transport ministry has faced a barrage of recent criticism, including accusations that it is not doing enough to address frequent train breakdowns and drink-driving laws, but online rumo...