KOTA BHARU, Aug 12 — The government is taking a direct approach to rebuilding international confidence in Sabah’s east coast by bringing foreign ambassadors and representatives to assess the security situation firsthand, almost 13 years after the Lahad Datu incident.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the effort was important as the incident in Sabah had left an impact not only on the local community but also on the area’s tourism potential.
He said the Eastern Sabah Security Command (ESSCOM), which covers 10 districts along Sabah’s east coast and brings together three main agencies, was responsible for ensuring that the security situation in the area returned to normal.
Saifuddin Nasution said the area had vast tourism potential, with its islands, beaches, rivers and forests contributing to local economic activities.
“We have been working on this for almost 13 years and, with the situation now much better and more reassuring, we need to conduct an outreach programme to restore foreign countries’ confidence in the security situation,” he said after visiting the family of Corporal Mohamad Nur Hafiz Rahim, who died in a suspected electrocution incident in Beaufort, Sabah, at their home in Kampung Hutan Pasir, Ketereh, here today.
Saifuddin Nasution said under the programme, foreign ambassadors and delegates were taken on a three-day, two-night visit to Sabah’s east coast, including visits to the forests and islands, to see for themselves the security situation and gain firsthand experience of the area.
He hoped the approach would lead the countries involved to review their respective travel advisories for their citizens.
“This is the third year since we started the programme, and several countries have indeed changed or revised their travel advisories for their citizens,” he said.
Saifuddin Nasution said the United States and Japan were among the countries that had revised their travel advisories, while China topped the list of tourist arrivals to Sabah’s east coast, followed by European countries, particularly Germany and the United Kingdom, as well as East Asian countries.
He said there had been a significant increase in tourist arrivals to Sabah’s east coast after three years of implementing the programme and following reviews of travel advisories by the countries involved.
Saifuddin Nasution said the increase in tourist arrivals was also seen among those travelling via the Kuala Lumpur-Kota Kinabalu and Kota Kinabalu-Tawau routes, as well as direct flights to Tawau. — Bernama
