A senior developer has claimed that Genting Malaysia’s plan to impose a toll on vehicles using the Genting Highlands access road breaches the Road Transport Act 2011, highlighting the absence of an alternative route and questioning the legality of charging users along a road considered public.
GM AERO SUPPORT Sdn Bhd director Koh Yan Chai argued that any road used by the public is deemed a public road under the Act, meaning it cannot legally be designated as a private road. He stressed that basic toll regulations require an alternative route, which Genting currently does not offer.
He called on the Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Works, and Ministry of Housing and Local Government to provide clarification and justification. Koh stated that Genting Malaysia’s unilateral decision to impose toll fees lacks legal standing and criticised authorities for not taking over the road once development was completed.
He further disclosed that one of the company’s five-star hotel developments was halted after Genting Malaysia secured a court injunction restricting access to the affected road section. Speaking on behalf of both developers and affected property owners, he urged lawmakers to review the matter from a legal standpoint rather than a commercial one.
Genting Malaysia has yet to respond to media queries regarding the concerns raised.
GM AERO SUPPORT also raised five key questions regarding the proposed toll collection, requesting clarification from governmental agencies on whether the road is legally recognised as public or private, why it was not handed over to federal authorities, and whether development and toll permits were included in previous planning processes.
Genting Malaysia had previously announced its intention to introduce a vehicle toll based on the “user-pays” principle, stating that it is necessary to sustain road safety due to escalating maintenance costs. The company cited longstanding challenges in maintaining the 24km road, which has been privately built and managed by Genting since the 1960s.
It was also noted that the charge is officially labelled as a “Road Charge”, which industry sources interpret as an attempt to differentiate it from conventional toll collection on federal highways. Toll plazas at kilometre 14.7 and the Wutong Jaya roundabout have reportedly been completed, indicating that all vehicles entering from either Kuala Lumpur or Batang Kali will be subject to charges once implemented.
