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).
Screenshot of the false post captured on August 19, 2026, with an AI label added by AFP
Similar posts spread elsewhere on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok as the transport ministry faced scrutiny for not addressing frequent train and airport shuttle breakdowns, as well as a spate of deadly drink-driving crashes (archived links here, here and here).
Transport Minister Anthony Loke, an ethnic Chinese lawmaker from the Democratic Action Party (DAP) and a member of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s unity government, has also come under fire — particularly from opposition lawmakers who view his stance on drink-driving punishment as insufficient ( archived link).
Comments on posts sharing the purported Berita Harian front page indicate some users believe Malaysia’s rail operator will soon change its name.
“Hate the word Malay? Then leave the Malay land!” one says.
Another reads: “DAP wants to gradually erase the name ‘Malay'”.
But AFP found the report, which the newspaper denied publishing, was generated using artificial intelligence — and KTMB said there are no plans to change its name.
Fabricated front page
A keyword search on Google led to a Berita Harian article published July 31, 2026 in which the newspaper denied publishing the circulating report ( archived link).
“BH wishes to inform that this news headline was never published by BH Online nor written by any BH journalist at any time or in any place, according to the date shown, which is May 26, 2025,” the Malay-language article says.
Screenshot of Berita Harian’s statement regarding the fabricated report, captured on August 19, 2026
A comparison of the fabricated report with a genuine Berita Harian front page dated May 26, 2025 reveals several visual discrepancies in the masthead, font and headlines of the day ( archived link).
Screenshot comparison between the fabricated report (L) and a genuine Berita Harian front page, captured on August 19, 2026
AFP ran the image through OpenAI’s detection tool, which flagged it as created generated using the tech giant’s model ( archived link).
Screenshot of the OpenAI detection tool result, captured on August 19, 2026
AFP has previously debunked other fabricated graphics targeting Malaysian media outlets.
No name change
A spokesperson for KTMB told AFP on August 17, 2026 that there are no plans to change the operator’s name.
“The allegation that there is a proposal to change KTMB’s name for the reasons stated in the post is not true. KTMB continues to use Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) as the company’s official name,” the spokesperson said.
AFP contacted the transport ministry for additional comment, but a response was not forthcoming.
This is not the first time KTMB has been targeted by false claims involving its name.
In 2025, it faced similar accusations after a reader’s opinion letter suggesting a name change was mistaken as an official proposal ( archived link).
The operator later clarified that the letter was personal feedback, not a formal plan.