10 Mar - A notice of closure bearing the name MBO Cinema Sdn Bhd has been posted by a user on MBO Cinemas Facebook page, stating that the cinema chain has ceased all operations with an interim liquidator appointed to manage outstanding affairs. The notice, addressed under the heading "MBO Cinema Sdn Bhd (Interim Liquidator Appointed)", states that the company will be closed "effective from 10 March 2026 until further notice." It directs parties with outstanding inquiries to contact the interim liquidator at 03-62031888 or pkfcec@pkfmalaysia.com.
No official statement has been issued by MBO Cinemas on their social media pages or website so we are not able to confirm the authenticity of the notice posted up. Notably, no showtimes are currently listed on the MBO website. If confirmed, this would make MBO the second cinema brand to shutter within one week, following Dadi Cinema's closure on 5 March.
Founded in 2003, MBO Cinemas grew to become Malaysia's third-largest cinema chain with 27 complexes across 10 states - sitting behind only GSC and TGV at its peak. But the COVID-19 pandemic ended that run. With cinemas shuttered under MCO and revenue collapsing, MCAT Box Office Sdn Bhd entered creditors' voluntary liquidation on 14 October 2020. What followed was a breaking up of the chain. GSC acquired 18 of MBO's locations in a deal completed in September 2021, pushing GSC's market share past 50%. The remaining outlets were picked up by a separate group of new local investors, who relaunched the MBO brand on 29 December 2021. As of today, MBO cinemas has 8 locations nationwide with Quayside Mall being the last location to be opened on June 17 2022. If today's closure notice is confirmed, that comeback will have lasted fewer than five years - and the MBO name, once a fixture in Malaysian malls, will be gone for good. *This is a developing story. Cinema Online Malaysia will provide updates as more information becomes available.
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