Tourism Ministry views Sabah homestay hidden camera seriously, says Tiong

KUALA LUMPUR: The Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry views foreign tourists’ claim that a hidden camera was installed inside a wall socket at a homestay where they were staying seriously.

Its Minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing (pic) said the Sabah government, the state Tourism Ministry and related agencies have been asked to take stern action against the allegations which were revealed on a Shanghai-based social media platform Xiaohongshu on Sept 14 and later shared by local news portals.

“Stern and appropriate punishment should be imposed on any party found guilty because this kind of reprehensible act not only violates the laws but also affects the image of the country’s tourism industry,” said Tiong.

He added that stern action will be taken on all homestay operators or owners who are registered under the ministry if they are found to have broken the law, including revoking their registration and grading.

Tiong then said in a Facebook post on Sunday (Sept 24) that homestay operators or owners registered under Airbnb are to pay serious attention to discipline and check the background of their respective employees.

“There is no denying that things such as this may happen due to the personal actions of irresponsible homestay or Airbnb workers. MOTAC will not compromise on such an incident and will continue to monitor from time to time,” he said. – Bernama