Perhaps DARK007 can weigh in..he is from Borneo and had pretty good information back in March.
In any event, I have access to Control Risks...which is a company that deals with security/protection/etc. in most countries. They are suggesting the political demonstrations (mostly in and around Kuala Lumpur) are the worst things to worry about now if they escalate, but that seems doubtful.
With respect to Sabah, my girlfriend and I are supposed to go to Sipadan in early September. We booked just before the February / March incident and have been watching the situation closely to see what, if anything happens. The good news is that things appear to be calming down quite a bit and I have heard of lots of divers going and not experiencing any issues whatsoever. While most Governments seem to have a "do not travel advisory", I'm not really sure how real time the advisories are (and I'm sure they weigh heavily on the side of caution). Here is what Control Risks suggests for Sabah:
April 23, 2013
Continue to follow security force restrictions in south-eastern Sabah amid low-level military operations in area.
Travellers should continue to ensure that any travel to rural parts of Lahad Datu, Kunak, Semporna and Tawau districts (all Sabah state) is only conducted with local hosts (or tour operators) who are fully aware of any military restrictions that remain in place in the region. Although major army operations to evict an armed group of Filipinos, who arrived in Sabah in early February have been completed, follow-up security raids against individual cadres as well as alleged local sympathisers continue to affect the above mentioned districts. Furthermore, the security forces continue to remain vigilant to the possibility of additional armed members of the group crossing from southern Mindanao (Philippines) to other parts of eastern Sabah; earlier, the Mindanao-based rebel group Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) claimed that approximately 1,000 of its fighters had arrived in Sabah as reinforcements.
Travel Briefing
The MNLF claim is unlikely to be true; its previous claims of dispatching a sizeable number of fighters to support remnants of the Filipino armed group have failed to materialise and rebels operating in the southern Philippines lack the capability to conduct large-scale landings given the heavy naval presence in the area. Nonetheless, the difficulty in protecting Sabah's remote coastline and its maritime border with the Philippines means the province remains vulnerable to low-level incursions by insurgents operating in south-western Mindanao, the Basilan and Sulu Archipelago (all Philippines). Isolated engagements between Malaysian security forces and rebels therefore cannot be entirely ruled out. While the threat to travellers is limited by the remoteness of the area in which such incidents may take place, personnel intending to visit the region should maintain heightened situational awareness and should liaise with trusted local contains to ascertain the latest information on security operations.
Personnel are reminded that it is preferable to conduct all travel to south-eastern Sabah by air, due in part to the ongoing security operations, but also because any overland journeys may entail travelling long distances through remote areas and on roads of inconsistent quality. However, if overland travel along the A5 route between the state capital Kota Kinabalu to Tawau is necessary, personnel should expect military checkpoints along the route south of Sandakan.
The resort islands of Mabul and Sipadan are currently unaffected by disruption, and travel to these locations can continue. However, travel to these islands may be subject to checkpoints or restrictions between Tawau town and Semporna port, including along the SA51; travellers should reconfirm that the route remains unaffected by such restrictions prior to departure. Personnel should conduct journeys along the SA51 during daylight hours only.
Background
The Filipino group, which is laying claim to ownership of Sabah, arrived in the area from the Sulu Archipelago on 9 February. Military operations against the group commenced on 5 March, after efforts to negotiate their peaceful withdrawal failed, prompted also by the killing on 1-2 March of eight police officers in Lahad Datu and Semporna. At least 62 gunmen and ten security force personnel were killed during clashes between the security forces and rebels in March; no related deaths have so far been reported in April.
Travel Advice Summary
Travel to Sabah can continue.
Situational awareness of ongoing operations should be maintained via local contacts, our updates, and local media reporting. Personnel should be prepared to adjust their itineraries if necessary.
Travellers must continue to ensure that they actively avoid areas of ongoing military operations. These continue in the vicinity of the village of Tanjung Batu in rural Lahad Datu. The area is cordoned off by the military; travellers must not enter and should adhere to all directives issued by the authorities.
Travellers are advised to ensure that any travel to rural parts of Lahad Datu, Kunak, Semporna and Tawau is only conducted with local hosts (or tour operator) who are fully aware of any military restrictions in place in the wake of security operations.
There remain checkpoints along the A5 and SA51 roads; travellers should carry identification and be prepared to adhere to directives issued by the local authorities and security forces.
Where possible, travel by air to Tawau and south-eastern Sabah and minimise overland journeys. This is not only due to the ongoing security operations, but also because of the inconsistent quality of the roads, vehicles and drivers. However, travel by road along the A5 remains possible.
The resort islands of Mabul and Sipadan continue to be unaffected by disruption, and travel to these locations can continue.
Contact your nearest Assistance Centre for profile and itinerary-specific advice, or for further information.
I'm heading to northeast Borneo for a month of diving in a few hours. This "problem" is so far back in my things-to-worry-about list that it comes right after "don't forget to thread in case one of my t-shirts gets a hole in it."
