KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 5 ― There is just over a month before Chinese New Year, but bus tickets from Singapore to Malaysia for the festive season is already selling out fast, the island republic’s daily The Straits Times (ST) reported today.

According to six coach companies, tickets are already sold out for February 5 and 6, especially for popular destinations such as Kuala Lumpur, Malacca, Penang, and hill resort Genting.

Chinese New Year will be celebrated on February 8 and 9 this year, and the companies said those buying the tickets were hoping to be home by reunion dinner which is held on the eve, on February 7.

“Tickets are sold out at least five to six weeks before Chinese New Year every year,” said  Joe Lim, the president of the Express and Excursion Bus Association, adding that such demand is “normal”.

For some companies, tickets were already sold out since November, and Lim’s company Konsortium Express & Tours itself has sold out tickets on all of his 100 buses on the two hot dates.

Another company, Grassland Express and Tours, said its tickets for those two dates were sold out within two weeks of its sale in October.

ST reported that flight tickets for the period were also getting scarce, as budget airline Tigerair admitted of “strong demands” for its flights to Malaysia, causing it to add three flights to Ipoh, two flights to Kuala Lumpur and five flights to Penang.

Jetstar Asia also has over 60 per cent of seats on flights to Kuala Lumpur and half of seats on flights to Penang sold for the same period, causing it to add eight services to Kuala Lumpur and nine to Penang.