Govt urged to fix flaws in immigration protocol

KOTA KINABALU: Instead of repeatedly ‘victimising’ the China tourists who came to support the state tourism industry, the state government and the relevant authorities should treat the recent immigration slip ups as a serious security flaw and breach, and seriously review the existing immigration protocol at airports.

Issuing such terse advice, Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) vice president Gee Tien Siong opined that this is necessary in order to avoid a far more serious security breach by hostile elements at the airports in future, which may have devastating consequences to the state.

He urged this while commenting on the dreadful incident of four female China tourists who were detained for 18 days in Tawau prison, for not having their passports stamped by the immigration when they entered Sabah.

The bitter incident had inevitably caused grave concern among China tourists who intended to visit Sabah, as reflected in a great number of them seeking advice from the Chinese Consulate in Kota Kinabalu, on whether it was advisable to visit Sabah still.

Though the said four China tourists were subsequently released and had returned to China on Dec 28, 2019, in less than two weeks, another three China tourists were detained at Tawau Airport last Monday, also for not having their passports stamped upon their arrival at the Kota Kinabalu International Airport (KKIA).

“Our government must recognize that it is not only humiliating but a serious security breach for foreign visitors to enter the state without being detected.

“If ordinary tourists can slip pass the airport immigration check point easily, imagine what those with bad intentions could possibly achieve? This is no laughing matter and ought to be taken seriously by the State government and the relevant authorities, and to take immediate and effective measures to tighten the loose ends in the immigration protocol,” he stressed in a statement issued on Wednesday.

Gee added that the bitter experience that the China tourists had to endure, because of the immigration slip ups, also does not augur well for the Malaysia-China Cultural Tourism Year this year, which aimed chiefly at strengthening cooperation in the tourism sector between the two countries.

“Such incidents not only reflected poorly on Kota Kinabalu International Airport but also the much-to-be-desired service agencies.

“How many more such incidents must happen before the relevant authorities take it seriously, and take effective measures to resolve whatever underlying causes there are?” he asked.

He further stressed that the relevant authorities must not continue to shoot their own feet and ruin whatever remaining hope there is i.e. the tourism industry, for the people to stay afloat in this trying economic situation. of our government