Hidden camera incident: Airbnb removes Sabah homestay's host account

KUALA LUMPUR: The Airbnb safety team has removed the host account of a homestay in Sabah pending an investigation into an allegation that a hidden camera was installed inside a wall socket at the lodging.

Airbnb’s India, South-East Asia, Hong Kong and Taiwan general manager Amanpreet Bajaj, in an email to Bernama, said Airbnb banned hidden cameras and was disappointed to hear of such incidents.

"While safety incidents are rare on Airbnb, we take reports such as these seriously, and we have been providing support to our guests,” he said.

On Sunday (Sept 24), Bernama reported that the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry viewed the claim made by a foreign couple seriously.

Its minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing said the Sabah government, the state Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry and related agencies have been asked to take stern action against the allegation which was revealed on Shanghai-based social media platform Xiaohongshu on Sept 14 and later shared by local news portals. - Bernama