Tourism Johor’s Director, Mohammad Nazrul Bin Abdul Rahim, flagged off the 5km run organised by the Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) Johor Chapter, which was held as an annual run for hoteliers on 7th October 2025 at Medini Gateway, Iskandar Puteri, Johor. He was accompanied by the Mayor of Iskandar Puteri, Datuk Haji Hasrin Kamal bin Hashim, the Vice President of MAH, Lim Choong Sean and the Chairman of MAH Johor Chapter, Ivan Teo.
“I feel very proud because this year’s event successfully gathered participation from 44 hotels in Johor, including 3-star to 5-star hotels, and attracted a total of 1,018 participants, which is an increase of 30% compared to last year,” said Mohammad Nazrul bin Abdul Rahim, the official representative of the Johor Menteri Besar, Datuk Onn Hafiz Bin Dato’ Ghazi.
“This achievement clearly shows that all the hotels in Johor are united and stand firm in supporting our efforts towards making Johor Visit Year 2026 a success,” he continued.
“With the opening of the RTS Link at the end of 2026 and the establishment of the Special Economic Zone with Singapore in progress, Johor is expected to experience a major tourism boom. This is both an opportunity and a responsibility for us, as the custodians of hospitality in Johor. Such events build a sense of belonging, camaraderie, and pride among Johor hoteliers. They remind us that staying and working here is not just about a job—it is about being part of a strong, united community that values and supports one another,” said Lim Choong Sean, the Vice-President of the Malaysian Association of Hotels.
One initiative to promote Johor extends beyond the MAH Run; from 8–11 November, the MAH Executive Committee, led by Chairman Ivan Teo, will be in Guangzhou, China, to market Johor directly to Chinese travel agents.
With the convenience of direct flights from Senai to Guangzhou via AirAsia, more international visitors will see Johor as their destination of choice.
MAH’s Johor Chapter and MyBHA (My Budget Hotels Association) have worked together to improve the quality of their hospitality services.
To improve the frontline staff’s English and strengthen their basic hospitality skills, a recent training session series was held. The intention is for guests to Johor to experience the warmth that Malaysians are known for, to feel the professionalism of its service, and the richness of its multicultural diversity that makes Johor unique and attractive.
The MAH Run 2025 included a category for the overall winning hotels in addition to awards for the top 10 male and female runners.
The winner was KSL Hotel & Resort, followed by Legoland Malaysia Resort in second, Hard Rock Hotel Desaru Coast in third, and Pulai Springs Resort in fourth.
The year-long MAH GAMES series, which featured e-sports including the “Mobile Legends Tournament,” badminton, bowling, and futsal, culminated with the MAH Run 2025.
In the MAH Games 2025, Legoland Malaysia Resort emerged victorious, followed by KSL Hotel & Resort in second place, Le Grandeur Palm Resort in third, and DoubleTree by Hilton Johor Bahru in fourth.
With 18,365 rooms, Johor now has the third-highest number of rooms in the state after Kuala Lumpur and Selangor. The Johor hotel sector is expanding steadily.
By the end of 2025, more four- to five-star hotels will be part of the MAH Johor Chapter.
