KOTA KINABALU: Sabah tourism authority has initiated its own investigation into claims by two Chinese tourists that they were molested by a dive instructor near Semporna recently.
State Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Christina Liew said Sabah Tourism Board has been instructed to look into the matter after reports emerged that the two women, from Shenzhou, had claimed that their instructor had touched sensitive parts of their bodies during a dive session.
The incident was said to have happened off Semporna waters last month.
Reports said both of them later filed a complaint with the dive agency which led to the instructor agreeing to settle the case by paying them RM3,000 but the victims said they have yet to receive any payment.
“This behaviour is unacceptable and will definitely tarnish the image of Semporna.
“I have instructed Sabah Tourism Board chairman (Ken Pan Ying On) to investigate the operator about the issue,” said Liew at the opening of Mega Dive 3.0 and 9th Navy Day Open Regatta 2019 at Sepanggar Navy base here.
Earlier, Liew said the events would allow the public to have an "up close and personal" look and experience of the Navy personnel's life.
“Mega Dive 3.0 meanwhile has been held for the third consecutive year whereby volunteers clean up the seabed by picking up rubbish and sea urchins.
Also present was Sabah First Admiral Syed Ahmad Hilmi Syed Abdullah.
Divers managed to collect a total of 600 sea urchins and 15 kilogrammes of trash during the events.