Malaysia’s new plan to beat obesity: slash gym licence fees in Kuala Lumpur

Malaysia has cut operating licence fees for gyms in Kuala Lumpur by 80 per cent, offering fitness operators a regulatory “carrot” as the government tries to push residents in one of Southeast Asia’s heaviest countries to exercise more. The move comes as Malaysia grapples with some of the region’s highest obesity rates – a problem health officials say is especially pronounced in sedentary urban centres such as the capital. Under the new Kuala Lumpur rate, in force from January 1, gyms now pay ...

By Iman Muttaqin Yusof