DFAT Issues Travel Warning for Malaysia
Just heard the news that Australian citizens are warned of the high risk of kidnapping by terrorists near popular Malaysian dive sites. The warning came from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Australia.
Sabah Tourism Board has issued a press statement. When I blogged this, it isn’t available on their site yet. So here is the full text to the press statement.
PRESS STATEMENT BY CHAIRMAN OF SABAH TOURISM BOARD, TENGKU DATUK ZAINAL ADLIN, ON SECURITY IN SABAH
Released on 1 March 2006Warmest greetings from Sabah, Malaysian Borneo!
We appreciate your Government’s concern for the safety of Australian citizens abroad. We also know that the Australian Government has issued similar travel warnings to other destinations around the world, including the UK, USA, Singapore, Thailand, Bali.
Sabah is a safe destination to travel to and we are pleased to say that the Malaysian Government have taken the security issue very seriously and will continue to ensure that all Malaysians and visitors alike are safe in the country.
The first few months have seen many distinguished guests and groups coming to Sabah for their holidays and also business trips. There were over 500 conventions, incentives, and events (CIE) in Sabah last year. Last month we had a BBC crew filming on our Survivor island and a Japanese film celebrity just completed a one week shooting in Kota Kinabalu. Two weeks ago a delegation of Australian business group from Rockingham Perth visited Sabah, this week 80 high school students from Japan came to the State for a field trip. Taiwanese incentives are arriving by the hundreds. Koreans and Japanese continue to throng our championship golf courses, spas and beaches. Backpackers and adventure enthusiasts continue to arrive to scale the highest mountain in Malaysia, Mt. Kinabalu.
The Diving industry in Sabah has been thriving and growing steadily annually with divers from all over the world continue to visit the many beautiful and magnificent marine life in the surrounding waters of Sipadan Island, Mabul, Mataking, Kapalai and Lankayan – all on the east coast, Mantanani, Layang Layang Atoll, Pulau Tiga, and Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park of the west coast. We are pleased that the PADI Course Director Training Course, which is the highest achievable level of training within PADI, will be held again in Sabah for the 8th year consecutively. This alone testifies that Sabah’s east coast is a safe place to visit and dive.
I am also pleased to say that Sabah has over 40% repeat visitors and a 25% compound growth in arrivals for the last five years. The Hotels and Resorts in Sabah recorded the highest occupancy rate in the country of about 80%. With the Chinese New Year celebration just over we are looking forward to hoards of Easter holidaymakers visiting the State.
We look forward to welcoming you to The Land Below The Wind - Sabah, Malaysian Borneo.
(signed)
Tengku Datuk Zainal Adlin
Chairman - Sabah Tourism Board
Personally, Sipadan, Mabul, Kapalai and all other diving destination islands are safe. Today, there are armed military stationed on all dive destination islands around Sabah.
I have visited these islands numerous times since the Sipadan incident 6 years ago and never once felt vulnerable. I know you will feel the same way too when you get there.