Xia
Fang
KOTA KINABALU: The deaths of foreign tourists in Sabah should serve as a wake-up call on the need to improve the safety of tourists, acccording to a family member of a tourist who died in Sabah.
Mickey Xia Jing Wang, 31, said there had been five accidents involving foreign tourists since January 27, of which four of the cases involved travelers from China.
Xia is the cousin of Li Yong, a 26-year-old tourist from Wenzhou City in Zhejiang Province, China, who died while vacationing in Mantanani Island, on January 24.
“We hope the relevant authorities, including the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Environment, would improve the safety of tourists so that such tragedies will not recur,” he said in a press conference at Basel Christian Church of Malaysia (BCCM) in Likas yesterday.
Steven Fang, who is Li’s cousin, said deaths of foreign tourists while vacationing overseas were devastating news to the victims’ families.
“Li’s parents were devastated when they received his body yesterday.”
Li’s body was flown back to Wenzhou City via Dragonair on Tuesday.
He said Li’s death, and the 22 year-old German tourist on Mount Kinabalu, should serve as a wake-up call for the authorities to enhance the safety of tourists.
Meanwhile, BCCM Chinese Council member Kong Yu Kiong said the government should improve the basic infrastructures in tandem with promoting the tourism industry in the Visit Malaysia Year 2014.
He said the relevant authorities must ensure that the needs of tourists were met.
“In this incident (Li’s death), there were few who could assist them, especially when there is a language barrier.”