Yee Tsai Yiew
KOTA KINABALU: Tourism players in Sabah must take proactive measures to improve the level of security and safety for tourists to avoid untoward incidents in the future, said Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) Kota Kinabalu Information Chief Yee Tsai Yiew.
Taking the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Environment to task, she said a thorough investigation and emergency measures must be carried out to secure tourists’ travel safety in the state.
Stressing that the recent comment by Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing must be taken seriously as failure to do so, would not just tarnish the state’s tourism industry, but also the country.
“‘I would like to urge the state tourism authorities, especially Tourism, Culture, and Environment Minister Datuk Christina Liew to remain vigilant and ensure the safety of tourists is made our top priority. Swift and effective preventive measures must be taken by the state tourism authorities,” she said in a statement today.
Tiong recently said the federal tourism department is seriously concerned over several tourist accidents in Sabah, citing potential negative impacts on Malaysia’s tourism industry, particularly in Sabah.
He mentioned that Sabah has reported over 13 incidents of tourist accidents, including a recent boat capsize near Pulau Timba-Timba and a drowning involving foreign tourists in July in Gaya Island.
Previously, Yiew also highlighted the need for the state tourism authorities to address negative online comments from foreign tourists about Sabah’s island destinations, especially Semporna.
These events have raised public concerns about the safety standards of tourism in Sabah, adding that both locals and tourists expect the Government to take effective measures to enhance safety at tourist spots, ensuring visitors can enjoy their time securely.
Therefore, she believes that the state tourism authorities urgently need to review and enhance their safety management measures, collaborate with the Federal Government, share best practices, and formulate a comprehensive safety plan to ensure the sustainable development of Sabah’s tourism industry.
Meanwhile, Yiew commended the memorandum of understanding recently signed between the State Government and Huawei Technologies Malaysia that would accelerate Sabah’s digital transformation efforts.
She expressed optimism that the partnership would improve the government’s digital initiatives to boost efficiency and accessibility of public services will benefit the state and Sabahans, hoping that more government departments would keep pace with technological advancements, making Sabah a technologically advanced state.
Under the memorandum, Huawei Technologies will contribute in areas such as agriculture, industry 4.0 smart manufacturing, tourism, smart city planning, e-commerce, digital infrastructure, and interconnectivity among government agencies through digitisation.
Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor emphasised that this collaboration would greatly aid in realising the State Government’s aspirations for digitisation.
