KUALA LUMPUR: Safety in Eastern Sabah Security Zone (ESSZone) needs to be restored before tourists can be encouraged to go there, said Tourism and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz..
“Do not think only about profit and to have full occupancy in the holiday resorts,” he said.
Nazri said public could make comparison between Kota Kinabalu in Sabah and ESSZone.
“There is no curfew in Kota Kinabalu but there is extended curfew in ESSZone. People do not come to visit our country and then be asked to stay in for the curfew,” he said.
“We want them to enjoy the day life and the night life.”
Nazri said he does not want the culture of lies to be rampant in the country.
“To me its a blatant lie to say that it is safe in Eastern Sabah Security Command (ESSCom) patrol areas," he said, adding there was no closure yet as long as victims Constable Zakiah Aleip and Chan Sai Chiun were being held hostage by kidnappers.
Nazri also said he does not want to budge from anything that he said in Parliament.
“If people are unhappy, then never mind. What is important is safety and security of our guests. There are many other places other than areas patrolled by ESSCom that can be visited,” he said.
Nazri clarified that he was talking about safety only in ESSCom areas, not the entire Sabah for tourists.
Meanwhile, he also hoped that Cameron Highlands, as a tourist spot, would be recovered and preserved as it has always been a popular recreational area.
He said after the recent floods, Cameron Highlands needed to be restored and there should not be any denial about allegations of the large number of foreign workers there.
On a related matter, he said there were allegations that they were about 6 million foreign workers in the country.
Nazri said he had no problem with those who came into the country legally and went back to their own country when it was time but some stayed here for 10 years, which should be investigated.
Nazri was speaking during a press conference today after the launch of an exhibition called 'Watikah Pemasyhuran Kemerdekaan' in conjunction with Visit Malaysia Year 2014.
The exhibition which is on for a month in Sultan Abdul Samad Building is organised by National Archives of Malaysia and a co-partner, The Museum of Asian Art of University of Malaya.
It is expected to attract between 10,000 to 20,000 visitors.