KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 26 — More countries have lifted warnings against visiting eastern Sabah, Foreign Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Mohammad Hasan told Parliament today, a move he said reflected growing confidence in Malaysia’s border security enforcement in the area.

Previously, some 25 countries had issued a Level 3 travel advisory for citizens travelling to Sabah, following several incidents of kidnappings by mostly armed Islamist militants and piracy.

Mohammad said during Question Time that the Eastern Sabah Security Command has been effective in deterring transborder crime in the region, made popular by its beautiful beaches, prompting “many” governments to drop the travel advisory to Level 2.

“That is the reason why we established Esscom, and the result of joint operations between the police and the Defence Ministry… Alhamdulillah, incidents of kidnap-for-ransom or piracy are no longer happening,” the minister said.

“So thanks to Allah, from the 25 countries, many have lowered their travel advisory to Level 2.

“Level 2 means they can visit, but must exercise caution,” he said.

Esscom was established on April 1, 2013, to strengthen maritime security, combat cross-border crime, and prevent militant intrusion in the Eastern Sabah Safety Zone (Esszone).

Covering 1,400 to 1,700 km of Sabah's east coast, it operates under the Ministry of Home Affairs to ensure safety across land, sea, and air, with the Esszone covering Kudat, Sandakan, Lahad Datu, Semporna, and Tawau.

The agency was formed shortly after the Lahad Datu incursion by Sulu militants to secure the region, during which two Royal Malaysia Police officers were killed in the standoff.

Mohammad said tourist inflows into districts such as Kudat have risen significantly over the years, particularly from Japan.

“The outcome of security enforcement and management there, including Kudat, Semporna, and Lahad Datu, is that eastern Sabah is bustling with tourists again,” the minister said.

“This is why Tawau Airport needs to be upgraded because there are so many tourists, with arrivals from Japan especially high,” he said.

“There is an 18.9 per cent increase in new tourist arrivals from Japan in the area, and this is because of negotiations by the Malaysian government.”