#SabahOKBah: Minister and Netizens assure Sabah is safe for visitors
Syafique Shuib
November 23, 2014 13:48 MYT
November 23, 2014 13:48 MYT
#SabahOKBah is a campaign to change the negative perception and promote the beauty of Sabah. -Photo: Twitter/@imokman
The tourism sector a major income for Sabah and statements saying that the state is unsafe is deemed insensitive.
Kota Belud MP Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan in a series of tweets posted last night said that the tourism industry has benefited the rural people the most and it should be nurtured and promoted.
“Sabah is big. What happened in East Coast of Sabah does not necessarily reflect the situation in interior and west coast,” said Abdul Rahman, who is also the Minister of Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government.
Abdul Rahman was referring to the statement made by Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz claiming that Sabah is unsafe for tourists.
To change the perception that Sabah is actually a beautiful destination to visit, Netizens have started sharing photos of the state's popular destinations on Twitter. Some of the images included the picturesque islands as well as the white pristine beaches in the state of Land Below the Wind.
Using the #SabahOKBah hashtag in their tweets, the initiative was established by NGO Beyond Pitas for Sabahans to show support to the tourism industry in the state.
Tourism, Culture and Environment minister Datuk Masidi Manjun was among the first to tweet:
In June, Nazri said Malaysia Airlines has cancelled 10 of its Shanghai-Kota Kinabalu flights, while China Southern Airlines has cancelled 22 of its Shenzen-Kota Kinabalu flights.
Low-cost carrier Spring Airlines also cancelled 44 of its Shanghai-Kota Kinabalu flights.
On May 6, a group of armed men kidnapped a fish farm manager from China on Balik Pulau, Lahad Datu, just a month after a Chinese tourist was kidnapped at Singamata Adventures Reef and Resort in Semporna.