US travel advisory not justified — Lee

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Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye

SIBU: The travel advisory on Malaysia by the US government over potential kidnapping is unjustified as continuous operations conducted by the enforcement agencies have ensured that the situation on the ground is under control, says Malaysia Crime Prevention Foundation (MCPF) senior vice-chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye.

He points out that although the travel advisory was issued because of the US government’s concern over potential kidnapping in certain areas of eastern Sabah, it would also affect tourists’ confidence to come to other parts of Malaysia, especially the coastal areas.

The US had placed Malaysia on the ‘K’ list in a travel advisory issued by the US State Department on April 9.

“For the locals in Sabah or those who have visited the state, they could see how tourists continue to come in droves to the state including to the Eastern Sabah Security Zone (ESSZONE).

“The police have also given their assurance that the situation in ESSZONE is under control as continuous operation is being conducted against militants,” Lee said yesterday in a media statement on travel advisory against Malaysia.

It is reported that tourist arrivals in Sabah has grown by 5.5 per cent, reaching 3.87 million last year.

Sabah was also ranked among the ‘Top 5 Most Visited States in Malaysia’ last year, while Kota Kinabalu was ranked ninth in the ‘Top Destinations for Asian Travellers’ during the recent Lunar New Year.

Lee also noted that Malaysia also continued to be attractive to American tourists, with 2018 recording an increase of 27.9 per cent in US tourist arrivals, bringing the total to 253,384.

At the same time, Malaysia also scored an overall global ranking of 25 in the Global Peace Index last year, which means that it is safe country to visit.

“However, we must accept the fact that there is no country in the world which is free from crime, including Malaysia. But tourists can be safe as long as they use common sense and take advice from the authorities, hotels and tour agents.”

Lee also pointed out that there was a decline of 11.9 per cent, or 11,949 cases of crime cases last year versus the numbers recorded in 2017.

Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Mohamad Fuzi Harun was quoted as saying that a total of 88,662 cases were reported last year, compared with a threshold value of 100,611 cases.

In 2017, the crime index dropped by 13,186 cases, or 11.7 per cent over 2016.

The police believed that their Volunteer Smartphone Patrol (VSP) mobile app, which was launched on March 25, 2017 and its 1.2 million members nationwide, were among the contributing factors to the decrease in crime index nationwide.

However, the police must take appropriate and effective steps to improve public perception of safety which has remained unchanged, said Lee.

“Among the main reasons for such a negative perception is the frequency which crime stories are being reported in the media. The sharing of crime stories on social media also leads to concerns among the people as most have their own experience in being victims of crime,” he added.

Lee also hoped that the police would increase their cooperation with other enforcement agencies, local communities, non-governmental bodies and private entities in order to gain the confidence of the public, which would lead to faster information sharing.