Chaos on the train floor
An everyday MRT ride went off the rails when a stray rat snuck into a train car without buying a ticket. Passengers were sitting on their usual route when the animal bolted down the aisle toward the connecting doors. Screams broke out across the carriage. People grabbed their bags and pulled their feet off the floor. Onlookers filmed the scene on their phones, and those clips spread fast across TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram.

The video shows the rat moving between seats while passengers moved out of the way. One woman pulled both legs onto her seat cushion as the animal ran under the row across from her. The pest sighting threw off the entire ride. Passengers kept looking at the floor for the rest of the trip, worried the rat might run back down the aisle. Several commuters shifted to standing near the doors just to keep their distance from the floor space where the rodent was last seen hiding.
Netizens have a field day
The clip got tens of thousands of views within hours. People on social media turned the footage into memes right away. Comments joked about rising train fares, saying even rats have to skip the turnstiles now to cross town. Others joked that the animal was late for work. But behind the jokes, people were genuinely grossed out by the lack of cleanliness on public transport.
Users asked how a live rat could walk past station workers, cross a busy platform, and get into a train car without anyone stopping it. People demanded that transport managers review their pest control work so this does not happen again. Online groups started sharing older photos of litter at stations, pointing out that dirty platforms make it easy for pests to nest right near active tracks where passengers wait every day.

Rapid KL responds
Rapid KL put out a statement about the video. The company said train cleanliness and passenger safety are top priorities. Representatives said that while pests on trains are rare, this situation shows why rules against eating and drinking exist. Leftover food, spilled drinks, and empty wrappers pull rodents from street level into station buildings and train cars.
Rapid KL asked passengers to follow the rules and not leave trash on trains. They also told commuters to tell station staff about spills right away so cleaners can handle the mess before pests show up on the platform. The operator added that staff will step up station checks during peak hours to remind commuters about the strictly enforced food and beverage bans on all operating lines.

Deep cleaning and pest control measures
After the video went viral, maintenance crews expanded their cleaning schedules and pest control across all lines and depots. Cleaning teams work through the night to sweep, mop, and sanitize train floors before carriages go back into service every morning. Pest control contractors put down more traps, sprayed track corridors, and checked station grounds for nesting spots.
Station staff are watching platform entry points and closing up gaps near street drains where rodents get inside. Transport managers said these steps will keep train cars clean, safe, and free of pests for commuters moving across the city every single day. Teams are also setting up weekly inspections at major transit hubs to ensure station drainage channels stay completely clear of food waste and debris.
Watch the video here:

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