KUALA LUMPUR, April 18 (Xinhua) -- Malaysia summoned the U.S. ambassador to the country to protest the country's eastern state of Sabah being listed in its Travel Advisory as an area with a high risk of kidnapping, the Malaysian Foreign Ministry said on Thursday.
The meeting, which took place on Wednesday at the ministry's headquarters in Putrajaya, was between U.S. Ambassador to Malaysia Kamala Shirin Lakhdhir and the ministry's acting Secretary-General Nushirwan Zainal Abidin, who handed a protest note to Lakhdhir, the ministry said in a statement.
Ambassador Lakhdhir explained while Malaysia as a whole has been placed in Tier 1, reserved for the safest countries and which is the lowest risk, eastern Sabah is subject to the "K" indicator due to the U.S. concerns of potential kidnappings and hostage taking.
"Both parties agreed that it would be useful if, in the future, the Malaysian government is informed prior to similar announcements being made. The U.S. Ambassador took note of the Malaysian government's protest and concerns and would duly convey them to Washington," the statement said.
The ministry added that security for tourists throughout the country was a top priority and the government was actively taking steps to ensure the security of eastern Sabah, noting also that the number of U.S. tourists to the country grew by nearly 30 percent last year.
