SABAH TRAVEL ALERT: AMBASSADOR'S MEETING WITH MFA

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KUALA LUMPUR 000043 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/20/2020 TAGS: CT MY PGOV KTIP CASC SUBJECT: SABAH TRAVEL ALERT: AMBASSADOR'S MEETING WITH MFA DEPSECGEN Classified By: Classified By: Ambassador James R. Keith for reasons 1.4 (b, d) SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (C) In the absence of the Foreign Minister and Secretary General, Deputy Secretary General I Radzi Rahman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs requested a meeting with the Ambassador on January 18 to discuss the Department's January 15 Travel Alert concerning parts of Sabah, Malaysia. Radzi said he understood the USG's obligation to its citizens but noted that Prime Minister Najib and other senior GOM officials, as well as Sabahans, were concerned about the Alert. Stating that the GOM had increased security in the mentioned area, he requested that the Alert be reviewed and rescinded if possible; MFA later released a press statement to that effect. The Ambassador explained that the Embassy had been in frequent consultation with elements of the GOM regarding the threat to eastern Sabah, that the threat had grown more serious, and emphasized the Mission's obligation to provide clear information to American citizens. The Ambassador proposed regular consultations with MFA and the Home Affairs Ministry on security/CT issues. End Summary. MFA REQUESTS MEETING -------------- ¶2. (SBU) The January 15 Travel Alert cautioning American citizens about travel to "isolated areas of eastern Sabah including Semporna and the islands of Mabul and Sipadan," garnered negative attention in the Malaysian press. Prime Minister Najib Razak and Foreign Minister Anifah Aman were both quoted in local press affirming that the area was safe for travelers, and Minister of Rural and Regional Development Shafie Apdal, a Parliamentarian from eastern Sabah, was quoted over the weekend saying the Ambassador would be summoned to discuss the issue. Other officials were subsequently quoted in the press asserting that the GOM's security stance in Sabah had been raised to the point where the Alert was not needed. An editorial in the mainstream New Straits Times on January 18 entitled "All Due Caution" cited the 2000 kidnappings of tourists and noted the "geopolitical realities" of the area, but suggested that increased security presence in the area was sufficient to reassure tourists. ¶3. (C) On January 18, the Ambassador, accompanied by PolCouns, met MFA's Deputy Secretary General I (Department of Bilateral Politics and Economics),Radzi Abdul Rahman, who was joined by Under Secretary for North American and European Affairs Badruddin Abdul Rahman and a notetaker, North America Division's Shazana Mochtar. The tone of the meeting was positive and cordial. Radzi began by thanking the Ambassador for agreeing to meet on a U.S. holiday. The Ambassador began by conveying condolence on the occasion of drowning deaths recently in the news that occurred in Radzi's home state. ¶4. (C) Radzi said that senior officials including Prime Minister Najib did not believe the Alert "reflected the situation on the ground." Sabah officials, including the Chief Minister of Police, had assured KL that the security situation around Sipadan Island was fine, having been significantly "upgraded and sustained" since the 2000 kidnapping of tourists; "a platoon of security people are there." The GOM was concerned that foreigners unfamiliar with Malaysia would interpret the Alert, though it was targeted at a small area of eastern Sabah, as a call to avoid Malaysia. Radzi praised the excellent cooperation between USG and GOM security agencies, said he understood the Ambassador's obligation to provide security information to U.S. citizens, and asked the Ambassador whether the Alert could be reviewed. ¶5. (C) The Ambassador said that Radzi's expression of appreciation for the excellent security cooperation between our governments was a good starting point, since discussions between us about the security threat in Sabah had begun in late November. At that time, the assessment was that the threat was contained enough that a Travel Alert was not warranted, but recent information had suggested that attacks could be imminent, necessitating the Alert. The Ambassador expressed appreciation for the additional security measures that the GOM had put in place since November, while pointing out that the Mission's obligation to inform U.S. citizens of threats remained, and that there was reason to believe that the threat from the Philippines changed last week in terms of being more likely to occur and to be more likely to occur imminently. The Ambassador said that the language was as specific as possible to minimize the possibility that travelers might overinterpret the Travel Alert. He noted that the Travel Alert would be reviewed as new information became available and he would report to Washington the GOM's KUALA LUMP 00000043 002 OF 002 request that the Alert be reviewed and lifted as soon as possible in light of the GOM's vigorous response in raising levels of readiness in eastern Malaysia by both police and military assets. The Ambassador noted, however, that the threat persisted from the November time frame, despite the fact that Malaysia had surged security forces in the interim. The Ambassador also offered to brief other GOM officials concerned about the Alert. ¶6. (C) The Ambassador suggested that U.S. Embassy (at the Ambassador or DCM level),MFA and Home Affairs officials meet periodically to review security cooperation and information on travel threats as a way to enhance coordination on these issues. Radzi said he would discuss the idea with Foreign Minister Aman. (Note: Our objective is to help the Malaysians do a better job at their own interagency and operational-to-policy communication and coordination. The Ambassador subsequently sent letters to ministers at Foreign and Home Affairs communicating formally this proposal. End Note.) KEITH