APRIL 7 — The Vice President Inbound of the Malaysian Association of Tour & Travel Agents (MATTA), KL Tan expressed disappointment on the recent statement by Deputy Home Minister Datuk Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar that no one can guarantee the safety of the remote resorts off Sabah. The suggestion by the Deputy Home Minister to close these resorts is an insult to the people of Malaysia, says KL Tan.

There is urgency to reassess the situation, reinforce the Esscom and the armed personnel rather than retreating and be intimidated by a bunch of criminals. Tan noted some RM75 million was allocated to ESSCOM at the last national budget in addition to the initial sum of RM286 million. Tan says that the enforcement of security at the islands off Semporna is weak due to the presence of squatter water villages and illegal immigrants making it difficult for Malaysian armed personnel to identify and nab the criminals.

“Solve the illegal immigrants issue and resettle the squatter water villages will enhance security and prevent further embarrassing and repeat abductions.” Tan urged the Deputy Minister to study the situation and come to Semporna rather than the apparent attempt by him to wash its hands off the matter.

He is duty-bound to protect every Malaysians including tourists rather “passing the buck” and shirking from responsibility. For the information of the Deputy Home Minister, the abduction took place in a resort, located about five (5) minutes from Semporna town and not in a remote island, added Tan.

The Sabah diving industry has flourished over the years due to relentless marketing efforts both by the private sector, the State and Federal tourism authorities. At this moment, the industry priority is the safety of the abducted Chinese victim and appealing to Esscom and the Police to take whatever steps to prevent recurrence.

“There is no necessity to make premature assessments on the impact on the tourists arrivals at this juncture. We appreciate that Sabah Tourism Board and Tourism Malaysia together with the private sector are taking proactive measures, in terms of market-growth and development.” said Tan.

Meanwhile, Robert Chong, Chairman Matta Sabah says it would be good for all stakeholders that the Deputy Minister of Home Affairs retract and withdraw his statement as such negative statement will have serious repercussion on business confidence, investment and development in Semporna. He urged the tourism industry to stay united and be resilient to face the challenges. Robert Chong refuted the statement by the President of Sabah Timber Industry Association. Sabah’s tourism industry is a market mix of tourism arrivals from various key destinations both from domestic, regional UK/ Europe and Australian arrivals, he added.

* MATTA is the largest NTO for travel in Malaysia. Currently, it has a total number of 2,800 members, comprising of local tour and travel agents as well as overseas affiliations. With a full time Secretariat based in Fraser Business Park, Kuala Lumpur, MATTA has state chapters in Kedah, Penang, Perak, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Terengganu, Kelantan, Selangor, Johor, Sabah and Sarawak.

** This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malay Mail Online.