KOTA KINABALU: Action will be taken against the tourists who behaved disrespectfully at City Mosque here and their operator once both have been identified, said Sabah Assistant Tourism, Culture and Environment minister Assafal Alian.
He was responding to a 10-second video of two foreign tourists, both women, inappropriately dressed and showcasing some sexy K-pop dance moves on the wall of the mosque.
In a statement, Assafal said the action of the foreign tourists in the vicinity of a religious structure showed lack of respect to the Muslim worshippers as well as the hospitality extended to them.
“Although incidents with tourists like these happens everywhere in the world we will not stand by and do nothing. We appreciate the concern by netizens and their alertness on matters like this.
“We can all work together to ensure that our visitors to the state enjoy their holiday and at the same time respect our culture, beliefs and our people.”
In the wake of the incident, the Council of the City Mosque has put up a temporary ban on foreign visitors.
About a thousand foreign tourists visit the City Mosque every day which is one of the must-visit places in Kota Kinabalu.
The council has also prepared Muslim garb for those who wish to go inside the building.
“The Ministry will continue to have regular engagements with tour operators and tourism stakeholders including owners of tourist attractions in Sabah, particularly sensitive areas like religious buildings and sacred venues,” Assafal said.
He added that there was also a plan to limit the number of tourists at a time at places of worship to better manage the crowd and ensure a smooth flow of worshippers and visitors going to the area.
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