Insisting that eastern Sabah is not safe, Tourism and Culture Minister Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz said he would not go there without the protection of bodyguards.

“Without bodyguards, I won’t even go to eastern Sabah,” he was quoted as saying in the online edition of Sinchew Daily today.

Even under the protection of the bodyguards, he said he could not sleep soundly during his visits there.

He said the very existence of the Eastern Sabah Security Command (Esscom) shows that the place is unsafe, and he would rather speak frankly about this now rather than to attempt to hide it.

Apart from promoting tourism, Nazri said it is also his duty to ensure the safety of tourists in Malaysia.

“I will only speak the truth, even in parliament. Some people won’t be happy but that is their business.

Everyone knows anyway

“If I were to say that it is safe and then there is another kidnapping, then what? Just think about it - the curfew in Eastern Sabah has been extended by two weeks. You call that ‘safe’?” he was quoted as saying.

He added that even if he denied that Eastern Sabah is unsafe, the world will still know the truth through the internet.

On another matter, Nazri was quoted saying that Cameron Highlands is also unsafe due to the risk of floods, and visitors should avoid the area for the time being.

A mud flood in Cameron Highlands on Nov 5 had claimed five lives, and another flood in the area last year killed four. It also damaged over 100 houses.

Previously, Nazri had drawn flak when he told the Parliament that some areas of Sabah are unsafe, and he would not direct his officers to promote tourism there until the kidnapping issues have been resolved.

“I will not order tourism officers abroad to promote Sabah. Personally, I will not visit Lahad Datu. I do not want to ask for trouble,” he told the august house on Nov 17.

All steps taken to ensure safety

In response, the Inspector-general of Police Khalid Abu Bakar said that steps have already been taken to ensure the safety of both Malaysians and foreigners in Sabah, including on the state’s east coast, following a spate of kidnappings by militants based in the Philippines.

A police personnel and a businessperson remain in the militants’ captivity, while a tourist from China kidnapped earlier this year had been released.

Several governments, including that of US, UK, Australia and Canada, had issued advisories to their citizens warning against travel in Eastern Sabah coastal areas.

Sabah Tourism, Culture, and Environment Minister Masidi Manjun had slammed Nazri’s statement, saying that it threatened to undo the work of Sabah tourism authorities.

“For him to say that he will not guarantee the safety of tourists in Lahad Datu, until the two cases of kidnapping are solved, does not make any logical sense.

“It is like saying he cannot guarantee the safety of passengers to travel on our national airline until MH370 case is solved or that he cannot guarantee that snatch thieves will not attack tourists in Kuala Lumpur since many cases remain unsolved,” he said last week.

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