Safety of hostages our priority, says Malaysian premier
Print Edition
THE abduction of the Chinese tourist is further straining relations already tested by the crisis over missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.
Malaysia’s Prime Minister Najib Razak said the attack could be an attempt to “stir up more trouble” between China and Malaysia, but he did not elaborate.
“Our priority is to ensure the safety of the hostages,” he was quoted as saying by Malaysian state-run news agency Bernama.
Najib was speaking in Perth where he was visiting the Australian staging base for the massive search for the missing Malaysia Airlines flight, the majority of whose passengers were Chinese.
Bandits have in the past abducted tourists and others in the area and taken them to nearby Philippine islands.
China urged Malaysian police to rescue its citizen and improve safety.
“We sent relevant staff to the site and ask the local police to make an all-out rescue effort while ensuring the security of Chinese citizens and taking effective measures to safeguard the security of Chinese tourists,” foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei told reporters in Beijing.
He said China would “follow this incident closely.”
The incident is another blow for Malaysian tourism.
More than 200 armed Islamic rebels from the Philippines staged a bizarre invasion of eastern Sabah last year, holding out for month until they were crushed by a Malaysian military assault. Dozens of people were killed.
Malaysia ratcheted up security afterwards and has declared the area safe for visitors. But abductions and other incidents have continued.
Malaysian security forces were searching nearby seas yesterday for the gunmen, reports said.
Philippine maritime police and other authorities were “actively and closely” coordinating with their Malaysian counterparts in hopes of a “speedy resolution of the case,” the Philippine embassy in Kuala Lumpur said.
China’s consulate in Borneo advised its nationals to “pay attention to personal safety” when travelling to Sabah and to avoid “remote islands.”
It posted a warning about the security situation and a 24-hour emergency hotline — 0060128861953 — for the families of tourists.
Shanghai tourism authorities also advised travel agencies to warn outbound tourists of safety concerns.
The Singamata resort has cottages and restaurants on stilts over the water, making it hard to protect from the sea.
Eastern Sabah has seen several kidnappings over the years.
In the biggest single case, armed Philippine gunmen took 21 hostages at the world-renowned diving island of Sipadan near Semporna in the year 2000, including 10 tourists from Europe and the Middle East. All were eventually released in exchange of large ransom payments.
The US State Department advises its citizens not to travel to eastern Sabah.
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