Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal. -filepic
KOTA KINABALU: Sabah hopes to see the United States remove Malaysia from its "K" list of potential kidnapping risks in the state's east coast, says Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal.
The Chief Minister, however, said that the newly introduced K-indicator list in the US travel advisory is expected to have minimal impact on Sabah tourism.
He said tourists from China and Europe continue to frequent the state capital, as well as diving spots like Sipadan.
“The situation is manageable and it is nothing that we should be worried about.
“Incidents have happened before, but we are doing our level best to ensure security is not only tightened, but surveillance is also intensified in the area.
“I do hope the request by the Foreign Ministry to leave it (Malaysia) out (of the list is taken into consideration), and that the area is safe to travel,” he said.
Mohd Shafie said this after receiving a courtesy call from Water, Land and Natural Resources Minister Dr Xavier Jayakumar at his office on Monday (April 15).
He was referring to a Bernama report on Sunday (April 14), quoting the Foreign Ministry urging the United States to remove Malaysia from its newly introduced K-indicator list, which reflects its concerns on potential kidnappings or hostage-taking situations in eastern Sabah.
Mohd Shafie added that their US counterparts, should they come across any information on possible dangers here, could assist by sharing intelligence.
“We can work closely together … to ensure security not only in the east coast area, but in this region as well,” he added.
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