KOTA KINABALU: Steps must be taken to ensure that there are no repeats of an alleged incident where a spy camera was installed in one of the Airbnbs in the city here, says Datuk Christina Liew.
The Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment minister said this alleged incident was rare, but measures must be taken to prevent a reoccurrence.
"This is a very unfortunate accusation and although this is one case, we must not allow it to happen again," she said.
She said as the matter was under police investigation, she did not wish to elaborate much so that the probe could be conducted properly and fairly.
Liew urged all tour agents and visitors to always check the background and reviews of any accommodation they wished to stay in before booking to avoid any incidents.
Asked about Sabah Local Government and Housing minister Datuk Dr Joachim Gunsalam’s statement that the state was looking at current laws to see how to regulate the operations of Airbnbs, she said they were willing to work together if there was a need.
"In this particular case, if it is true, I hope those responsible will face strict legal actions," she said.
The alleged incident came to light when a Chinese couple who had spent their honeymoon at an Airbnb in the city took to social media to share about their ordeal which went viral on Sept 23.
It was reported that the Chinese couple was shocked to find the camera positioned within a wall socket to face their bed during their stay at an Airbnb in the Sabah capital.
The couple posted the alleged incident on Chinese social media platform, XiaoHongShu, questioning whether it was safe to travel in Malaysia, and in turn attracted many comments online.
A spy cam was subsequently seized by police.
