The emergency number in Malaysia is 999. One call reaches the police, an ambulance, the fire brigade (Bomba) and Civil Defence, and it costs nothing from any phone, with no credit needed. Put the numbers below into your phone before you set off. Looking them up at the roadside, with traffic going past, is the wrong time.
| Number | Who answers | Call it for |
|---|---|---|
| 999 | MERS 999, the national emergency line | Anyone hurt, a fire, a crime, a crash blocking the road |
| 112 | The international emergency number, listed for Malaysia | A fallback from a mobile if 999 won't connect |
| 1-800-88-0000 | PLUS highway hotline, 24 hours | A breakdown or hazard on the North–South Expressway and the other PLUS expressways |
| 1-800-88-7752 | LLM (Malaysian Highway Authority) traffic line, 7 am to 10 pm | Closures and jams on any expressway |
| +6010 322 3223 | Grandpride, phone or WhatsApp | Anything that involves a Grandpride car |
You may still see 994 for Bomba or 991 for Civil Defence on old stickers and websites. Both have been folded into 999, so that is the only one you need for a real emergency.
What to say when 999 answers
The operator will ask three things: what has happened, where you are, and a number to call you back on. Have the answers ready in that order and keep them short.
- What happened: "Accident, two cars, one person injured and not moving." Say if anyone is trapped, bleeding or unconscious, and if there is smoke or leaking fuel.
- Where you are: on an expressway, give the highway name, your direction (northbound or southbound, or the next town on the signs), the last exit or R&R you passed, and the number on the nearest kilometre post if you can see one. In town, a road name plus a landmark: a petrol station, a mall, a school.
- Your number, then keep the line free afterwards. They may call back.
Since late 2025 the 999 system can locate a mobile caller automatically, which helps if you don't know exactly where you are. Say the location anyway. A few Malay words help if the line is noisy: kemalangan (accident), cedera (injured), kebakaran (fire), lebuh raya (expressway).
Don't hang up until the operator tells you to. And don't call 999 to ask about traffic or a flat tyre: false and non-emergency calls tie up the line, and a false call is an offence.
Broken down on a highway
A breakdown is not a 999 call unless someone is hurt or the car is stuck in a live lane where it could be hit. For everything else on a PLUS expressway, call 1-800-88-0000 or use one of the SOS phones, which stand about every 2 km along the road.
While you wait:
- Hazard lights on, and get as far left as you can: the emergency lane or a lay-by, not on a bend.
- Get everyone out on the side away from traffic and stand behind the barrier, not beside the car.
- If you have a warning triangle and it's safe to walk back, put it about 30 m behind the car.
Our guide to what to do if your car breaks down on the highway goes through it in more detail.
In a Grandpride rental car
The order doesn't change: safety first, 999 if anyone is hurt. Then call or WhatsApp Grandpride on +6010 322 3223 and tell us where you are CHECK: is this line answered 24 hours for accidents and breakdowns, or is there a separate after-hours number?. Our showroom hours are 9 am to 9 pm Monday to Saturday and 10 am to 8 pm on Sunday.
Two things to avoid. Don't let a tow truck that turned up uninvited take the car, and don't arrange repairs yourself CHECK: who arranges towing for a damaged rental car, and what the renter should do while waiting. After an accident, the driver must also make a police report within 24 hours; our step-by-step accident guide explains how, and what to send us. What you pay for damage depends on the cover you picked when you booked the car: Basic Cover, the Loss Damage Waiver, or Grandpride Protection+ with zero excess.
If the thought of handling any of this in a strange city puts you off driving, that's a fair reason to book a chauffeur instead, and let the driver deal with the road.
Before you need them
Is 999 free from a mobile phone?
Yes. It costs nothing, needs no credit, and works from a locked phone.
Does 112 work in Malaysia?
112 is listed as the international emergency number for Malaysia. 999 is the number Malaysians use and the one the emergency services publicise, so dial that first.
Apa nombor kecemasan bomba?
- Nombor lama bomba, 994, telah digantikan oleh 999, yang juga menyambungkan anda kepada polis dan ambulans.
Who do I call about traffic jams or a closed road?
Not 999. The LLM traffic line, 1-800-88-7752, answers from 7 am to 10 pm, and LLM posts updates on its social accounts. Our guide to the highways around Kuala Lumpur lists which road is which, so the update makes sense when you hear it.
