No longer just safe, but thriving

The Star

06-07-2025

Site visit: Saifuddin Nasution visiting a border control post on Mataking Island in the Eastern Sabah Security Zone. — Bernama
KOTA KINABALU: Sabah, particularly the Eastern Sabah Security Zone (ESSZone), remains a safe and secure destination for foreign tourists, says Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.
Once marred by past security incidents, he said the region is now seeing tourism flourish and local livelihoods improve, which is a clear result of sustained peace and targeted development.
'This year marks the second time the Home Ministry, in collaboration with the Eastern Sabah Security Command (Esscom), has brought diplomats and foreign representatives from the United States, Australia, Belgium, Ireland, Germany, Canada, New Zealand, China, South Korea and Spain for a series of one-day visits to key tourist locations within the ESSZone,' he said.
'Security is no longer the only story here. It is about transformation. What we see today is the direct outcome of peace: jobs, income and thriving tourism,' he said during a site visit to Semporna's islands with a delegation of diplomatic representatives and officials yesterday.
Also present was Assistant Tourism, Culture and Environ­ment Minister Datuk Joniston Bangkuai.
Saifuddin Nasution said tourist arrivals to Sabah's east coast have more than quadrupled since 2022.
Official figures show 64,470 tourist arrivals in 2022, which jumped to 313,128 in 2023 and reached 319,479 by the end of May 2024.
'These are not just tourists from anywhere. Many are from countries that previously issued travel advisories to their citizens regarding the east coast of Sabah.
'This surge in visitors is proof that the perception is changing, people are coming back, and in bigger numbers,' he added.
He said that countries such as Japan are already reviewing their travel advisories here following previous diplomatic engagements, adding that progress is being made with others like the United States, Britain, Ireland, New Zealand and Australia.
'These advisories still hold weight and affect public perception. That is why we do not wait for second-hand assumptions, we invite foreign representatives to experience the situation for themselves.'
He said that the region's turnaround is not accidental, but a result of coordinated efforts under the Eastern Sabah Security Command (Esscom) and the Federal Government's Madani Economic Framework.
He added that face-to-face engagements with international stakeholders remain the ministry's preferred strategy in changing outdated perceptions.
'There is no substitute for direct experience.
'We want them to see, hear and understand what Sabah really is today,' he said.
With positive changes taking root, Saifuddin Nasution said the ultimate goal is for countries to revise travel warnings that no longer reflect the current reality.