US embassy reaffirms that Malaysia is still safe to travel

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia is still safe to travel, affirms the US embassy to Malaysia, negating US academic Bruce Gilley’s claim that it is not.

“There is no change to the US travel advisory, which remains at Level 1, the lowest level out of four,” it said in a statement.

According to the United States Bureau of Consular Affairs, Level 1 is the lowest advisory level for safety and security, between Levels 1 to 4, and 4 being “do not travel”.

At Level 1, travellers are to exercise normal precautions in the country, it said.

Checks by The Star on the US State Department’s website showed that Malaysia has been on Level 1 since its last update on July 24, 2023. Additionally, its country information on Malaysia says that the countries have healthy bilateral ties.

“Economic ties are robust, and there is a long history of people-to-people exchanges. Malaysia has a diverse democracy and is an important partner in US engagement with South-East Asia,” it said.

Earlier this week, US academician Bruce Gilley claimed in a post on X that Malaysia is not safe to travel to.

He said on the social media platform that he had left Malaysia due to safety concerns caused by an “Islamo-fascist mob whipped up by the government there”.

Recently, Universiti Malaya (UM) had invited Gilley to speak, which caused controversy.

Gilley purportedly claimed that Malaysia had pushed for a “second holocaust against the Jewish people” during his talk, and downplayed Malaysia’s ties with the United States.

After the cancellation of all events involving Gilley by Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir, the academician has since returned to America.

Further sparking outrage, he posted that he will not accept reimbursement for his travels from UM, choosing instead to ask the public to fund his costs via an online platform.

“(Gilley’s) social media post on the safety of travelling in Malaysia is too much. It is irresponsible and can cause anger among all Malaysians,” UM said in a statement.