By WU VUIDE
KOTA KINABALU: Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor has given assurance that the security level in the east coast of Sabah remains at the highest level.
There were no untoward incidents reported in recent years, he stated when receiving a courtesy call from Malaysia’s Ambassador to France, Datuk Eldeen Husaini Mohd Hashim, at his office in Menara Kinabalu here yesterday.
Hajiji was delighted to hear that Sabah continues to be a key destination for French visitors, ranked third highest among European arrivals after the United Kingdom and Germany.
French tourist arrivals in the first quarter of this year recorded an increase of 26.8 percent to 2,116 compared to 1,669 in the same period last year.
Hajiji is confident that ongoing promotion efforts will certainly help boost the number of French visitors to Sabah.
Eldeen, who hails from Kuala Lumpur, was appointed Malaysia’s Ambassador to France in April 2024 after a stint in Cambodia.
Hajiji and Eldeen also discussed various opportunities for strategic cooperation between Sabah and France, particularly in the tourism sector, which would bring mutual benefits to the people of the state.
Also present were the Assistant Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Joniston Bangkuai, Sabah Tourism Board Chief Executive Officer Julinus Jeffery Jimit, Tourism Malaysia International Promotion (Americas, Europe, Oceania) Director Akbal Setia, and Tourism Malaysia Paris Director Zalina Ahmad.
