Mabul

[ElMico]

Hey guys,

I've got a trip to Mabul coming up at the end of November. I've been seeing the problems and am a bit concerned. I got an email today from the resort representative stating that the Malaysian government has greatly stepped up security. I was wondering if anyone had any first hand knowledge about the current situation there. Is the security actually increased? (There was security present in July, right?) They tell me that Sipadan Water Village is secure and safe. True? Anything that makes this resort any safer than the others? I've also seen where someone was arrested in connection with the incident on Mabul, any idea if that makes any difference?

Anyway, not sure what anyone will be able to tell me, just looking for some more local info to make an informed decision.

Thanks!

 

[ScubaDutch]

It's 100% safe, guarantied. One of my friends is building a new resort in Semporna at the moment and he confirmed as well. The navy is patrolling a lot, and there is army everywhere to protect the locals and tourists.

If you haven't paid yet, you might want to stay on the oil-rig with Sea Ventures. It seems to be more safe than Mabul. Like on Mabul you have some slum where all the illegal immigrants live, so not the nicest place in the area.

 

[The Wolf]

The situation is fluid.

The most recent kidnapping of the policeman occurred on Mabul itself (western side of the island) where the water village is so it's not really 100% safe.

Anyone who tells you so doesn't know what they are talking about I would think.

For now, I would do day dives out of Semporna until the long term measures are put in place by the security forces and they have sufficient assets out at sea to create that security net they have been trying to set up for the longest time.

It's much better now since they introduced the curfew from dusk to dawn as no boats are allowed to enter Sabah waters without the risk of getting shot at (something they didn't previously do or have authority to open fire without being fired at first).

It will take a while but they (the authorities) are getting there. Slowly but surely.

 

[Zippsy]

100% safe? There is no such thing. That said, getting kidnapped or shot while on holiday on Mabul, Kapalai or Sipadan should be so far down your "need to worry about" list, you should need a shovel to get to it. Flying to your destination (particularly on Malaysian Airlines, it seems) presents a much higher chance of you getting seriously hurt or going missing. Heck, you are more likely to be fatally bent on your dives than to get kidnapped or shot there.

 

[The Wolf]

100% safe? There is no such thing. That said, getting kidnapped or shot while on holiday on Mabul, Kapalai or Sipadan should be so far down your "need to worry about" list, you should need a shovel to get to it. Flying to your destination (particularly on Malaysian Airlines, it seems) presents a much higher chance of you getting seriously hurt or going missing. Heck, you are more likely to be fatally bent on your dives than to get kidnapped or shot there.

Flying Singapore Airlines is any safer? Need I remind you about the Taiwan and Silk Air crashes?

Leave Malaysia Airlines out of this discussion.

And yes, the risks remain in Mabul and the surrounding areas. And it's a hell of a lot more dangerous than how you potray it to be.

It's just bizzare people like you come out from time to time again and come up with this sort of reasoning and putting people's lives at risk. Shocking.

 

[Zippsy]

Just stating the facts, my friend. I can't help how they play out. There have been more people killed in Kota Kinabalu than in the Semporna area this year. Should people not go there too? Is Koh Tao too dangerous for the next few years because two tourist were killed there last month? Should we still avoid Bali because of the bombings? Try to come in from the dark. The world really isn't that scary.

 

[The Wolf]

Link: Abu Sayyaf suspected of shooting fishing boat - Nation | The Star Online

The attacks are now spreading North towards the Kudat area after another kidnapping in April this year of that German Couple in Philippine waters near Palawan. Zippsy, let's do it the easy way shall we. You are advocating it is safe to visit the east coast of Sabah. Fantastic. Kindly list out your full name and your details so in the event someone here takes you advice and does get into trouble (i.e. kidnapped/killed), the family know who to sue.



Gunmen linked to the Abu Sayyaf might be behind the shooting of a Sabah-registered fishing vessel in the border waters between northern Kudat and the Philippines. Two of the vessel’s 10 Vietnamese crew sustained gunshot wounds as they evaded the gunmen and fled towards Sabah in the 9am incident on Tuesday, some 22 nautical miles east of Pulau Banggi.
Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Jalaluddin Abdul Rahman said the two injured men, Nguyen Nain Len, 47, and Huynh Thanh Tuan, 33, were recovering from bullet injuries to their knees and ribs at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital 2 after they arrived at the marine police jetty here at about 9.30am yesterday.
Four heavily-armed men were in the 17m speedboat that attacked the fishing boat.
The Vietnamese crewmen managed to escape to Sepanggar Island off the city here and were rescued by marine police a day later.
Jalaluddin said they had informed the Eastern Sabah Security Command (Esscom) and went on full alert around Pulau Banggi.
Earlier, some of the crewmen at the jetty indicated with the aid of gestures to journalists their frightful ordeal and clasped their hands to indicate they were thankful.
Philippine intelligence sources said they were looking at whether the Abu Sayyaf was behind it.
Among the suspicions were that gunmen linked to the Abu Sayyaf might be moving north to find victims for ransom due to the tight security and curfew in eastern Sabah.
Filipino officials have noted the trend since the April 25 kidnapping of a German couple, Henrite Dielen and Dr Stefan Viktor Okonek, from their yacht near the southern Philippine island of Palawan (north of Pulau Banggi).
The couple were abducted by Tawi Tawi-based gunmen who moved north after they failed to make way through Malaysian security.
The couple were handed over to al-Qaeda-linked militants, who threatened to behead Dr Okonek by 3pm on Oct 17, if their demands for ransom, the withdrawal of US troops in Syria and Iraq, as well as calls to the Philippine government to support the global coalition of Islamic State (IS) were not met.
Two Malaysians, marine police Kons Zakiah Aleip, 26, and fish breeder Chan Sai Chuin, 32, are still being held by Abu Sayyaf-linked kidnap-for-ransom groups.

 

[chillyinCanada]

Did the kidnapped woman from the beach resort at or near Semporna ever get released. Her husband was killed at the time of the kidnapping IIRC.

 

[Zippsy]

Chilly, I believe this is who you are asking about (Kidnapped Taiwanese woman released in Philippines). She was released.


Dark, you are just too funny. Seriously though, with all your "mights" and "maybes", I still see more people getting killed in KK (and every other small to medium sized city in the world) than I do in the Semporna area. You say that these other places are safe yet you see boogiemen hiding under your bed every night. Take a chill pill son. You'll die from fear long before someone kidnaps you.

 

[Evan Soon]

To be honest I was there end of Aug and was enjoying myself with no crowd at all. I was staying at Borneo Divers which is beside a police base with armed police stationed around.

I was there for 5D4N and was given 3 days of Sipadan. I had to reject 2 days cos I was bored on the 1st day of Sipadan. If possible I would say NO ITS NOT SAFE as less people would be going there.

I mean if your a diver why would you be worried accidents when it could happen while your diving? don't be going around and being a target, no one would be wearing gold and their "armani" clothes going around the island would they? Its like saying "hey i'm rich, come kidnap me". Stay indoors and lock everything at night. Don't go out getting drunk or partying(although it would seem getting dead drunk would make you less of a target when your sleeping on the sand) till late night in the open.