Sabah hails United Kingdom’s move on travel advisory
Published on: Thursday, November 30, 2023
Hajiji said Sabah is a safe place to visit and to do business. Right: Ailsa.
Kota Kinabalu: The State Government welcomes the decision by the UK Government to change its travel advisory for British Nationals travelling to Sabah.
Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor, who is also Chairman of the State Security Council, said Sabah is a safe place to visit and to do business.
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Following the latest security assessment by the Malaysian Security Council, Home Ministry and the State Government, the Royal Malaysia Police Force has given its assurance that the level of security in Sabah remains under control.
“Curfew orders have been lifted. Sabah is a safe place to visit and to do business,” he said, adding more than 150,000 foreign tourists have visited the east coast of Sabah from January to September this year.
With the UK Government’s decision, the Chief Minister hopes more British nationals will visit Sabah.
He also hopes other countries which have issued travel advisories will take the cue from the UK Government’s decision.
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The British High Commission in Malaysia in a statement said the update is the result of a rigorous review by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and represents the first major change to the UK’s travel advice for Sabah since 2013.
The British High Commission in Malaysia, in a statement, said with the change, the UK Government no longer advises against travel to islands and dive sites in the maritime area around Kudat.
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However, advice against all but essential travel to islands and dive sites from Sandakan to Tawau, including Lankayan Island, remains in place.
British High Commissioner to Malaysia, Ailsa Terry, said the development is a testament to the work of the Government of Malaysia to improve security in eastern Sabah in recent years.
“This travel advice review has been a priority since I arrived in August this year. I am very pleased that, with the end of travel restrictions related to the Covid-19 pandemic, the thousands of British Nationals who call Malaysia home or visit every year will be able to see more of this amazing country,” she said.
According to the FCDO website, the travel advice by the office is based on information from a number of sources, including local knowledge from UK embassies abroad, Information provided by the local authorities in each country and in some cases, information gathered by the intelligence services.
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