PLUS Malaysia expects more than 2.2 million vehicles daily on its highway network during the back-to-back holidays beginning May 22, 2026, driven by mid-year school holidays and major religious celebrations including Hari Raya Aidiladha, Wesak Day, and the King's Official Birthday [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. Traffic on the East Coast Expressway Phase 2 is forecast to reach up to 50,000 vehicles per day during peak periods [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].
Peak outbound travel days from the Klang Valley are May 22, 23, 26, 28, 29, 30, and 31, with return traffic peaking on June 4 to 7, according to PLUS and Malaysian Highway Authority (LLM) figures [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]. LLM forecasts traffic volumes on Malaysia's major highways to reach 3.3 million vehicles daily on peak days around May 27, surpassing the PLUS network volumes [7].
PLUS will open all toll lanes and operate Smart Lanes at 33 locations prone to congestion during the holiday peak. It will also deploy over 500 PLUSRonda and LPT2Ronda personnel for 24-hour patrols [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. LLM will activate 34 Smart Lane sites and prohibit lane closures except for emergencies between May 23 and June 2 to reduce jams [7].
PLUS urged motorists to plan trips using its PLUS app, Waze, Google Maps, and the MyPLUS-TTA digital travel schedule, and to keep sufficient Touch 'n Go or eWallet balances [3, 4, 5]. "Highway users are advised to plan their balik kampung or holiday trips earlier to avoid congestion," PLUS said [3].
Traffic congestion began building on May 23 on major routes including the Kuala Lumpur-Karak Expressway and the North-South Expressway, with accidents and breakdowns adding delays [8, 9, 6]. On May 24, the Malaysian Highway Authority reported 2.8 million vehicles using major highways, the highest since the start of the festive season [8, 9]. Motorists were advised to use alternative routes such as the West Coast Expressway and federal roads [8, 9].
In Penang, police forecast about 1.9 million vehicles from May 27 to June 2 during the holidays. Enforcement will be stepped up at major congestion points to ensure smooth traffic flow and safety, said Penang police chief Datuk Azizee Ismail, who called Penang a top tourist destination and key route [10].
Ferry operators increased daily trips from Kuala Kedah and Kuala Perlis by one extra service each starting May 23 to meet demand for travel to Langkawi during the school holidays and Aidiladha [11]. Bus ticket sales surged at Terminal Bersepadu Gombak in Kuala Lumpur from May 22 as well. The terminal increased daily bus trips to 200-210 from about 150 on normal days. "There has been a sharp increase in ticket sales and bus trips as Aidiladha coincides with the long school holidays," said a terminal representative [12].
LLM senior assistant director Ahmad Kamil Abdul Halim detailed expected outbound traffic increases through late May, covering routes to the east coast and north and south via PLUS highways [6].
Traffic management and enforcement efforts will remain in place through early June as the holiday period concludes.
