KUALA LUMPUR – The Sabah government has lauded the United Kingdom’s decision to change its travel advisory for British nationals travelling to the state.
Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor said police have given their assurance that security in Sabah remains under control and it is a safe place to visit and to do business.
He added that more than 150,000 foreign tourists have visited the east coast of Sabah from January to September this year.
With this, Hajiji said he hopes more British nationals will visit Sabah and that other countries that have issued travel advisories will take a cue from the UK government’s decision.
The British High Commission in Malaysia said in a statement that 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.
It said with the change, the UK government no longer advises against travel to islands and dive sites in the maritime area around Kudat.
However, the advisory against all but essential travel to islands and dive sites from Sandakan to Tawau, including Pulau Lankayan, remains in place.
British high commissioner to Malaysia, Ailsa Terry, said the development is a testament to the work of the Malaysian government 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.”
According to the FCDO website, a travel advisory is drawn up based on information provided by UK embassies, local authorities and in some cases, information gathered by the intelligence services. – November 30, 2023