Suspension of activities at all islands off Sabah

[The Wolf]

Latest update for the past 2 days.

Police and the Malaysian Army have brought in more personnel and have initiated several cordons around the 2 villages outside of Lahad Datu.

There have been firefights with no loss of life to the Malaysian police or armed forces and well over 20-30 pirates killed. There are about 1000-1500 villagers from the area who have been housed at a nearby village hall and are being cared for and fed by the home ministry until the operations are concluded.

Semporna is packed with troops as are Tawau, Lahad Datu town, Kunak and Sandakan. Tons of security check points all the way along the highway linking all the major towns on the East Coast and air/sea patrols.

Still very tense and people are on 'edge' but the presence of more troops and police personnel is a welcome sight.

Still would not recommend heading out to sea as yet.

 

[sipadiver]

I just got back from Layang Layang last week - went diving there 5th - 10th March. No sign of any problems. Had lunch at Kota Kinabalu on Sunday 10th March - the street market was packed.

Oh and btw it was the best opening season at Layang Layang in a long while - we got to swim with 30+hammerhead sharks. Check out our video:

Layang Layang 6th March 2013 8:20am on Vimeo

 

[Progen]

I wouldn't expect Layang Layang to be affected since it's northwest of Kota Kinabalu. Trouble's all in the eastern side.

 

[The Wolf]

Things are settled now in Semporna. Had a couple of friends come back from there today/yesterday and it all seems to be under control now.

Still pockets of resistance up North in Lahad Datu within the cordon with another gunman killed by the security forces inside the village area. Otherwise, no other issues or reports from other areas on the east coast.

 

[String]

I've emailed and had replies from 3 dive centres and every one is saying there are no restrictions on diving anywhere, never have been and none are planned. All reporting operating as normal around mabul and sipadan.

 

[The Wolf]

I've emailed and had replies from 3 dive centres and every one is saying there are no restrictions on diving anywhere, never have been and none are planned. All reporting operating as normal around mabul and sipadan.

There was never any restrictions on diving. The statement said to put off trips to islands for the temporary period when the 2 police men were killed on the thursday. The letter came out on the friday. Then subsequently 6 more police men were ambushed and killed on the saturday and everything was on lock down.

Nobody is however going to admit they were told to lay low. Especially now that the problems are coming to and end and things appear to be going back to normal.

It would have been extremely stupid for anyone to contemplate going out to any of the islands that weekend because quite frankly, they would have been putting themselves in harm's way.

 

[String]

And how else do you expect people to work out or plan anything from thousands of miles away without emailing people to ask? Psychic powers aren't one of my nor anyone i knows strong points.
There WERE articles stating diving bans even in the local media (i have a friend living in the western part) and rather then spend thousands of pounds booking a trip OR not booking a trip on the basis of potentially inaccurate (and as it turns out they were inaccurate) news reports you have to ask the actual people doing the work there.
I can find several articles and several people in KK saying there was no diving at all for example.

Given that Sipadan will be a no-go dive area for a lot of people due to the camera ban coming in then its now or never.

 

[The Wolf]

1) Nobody on here stated there was a diving ban

2) We discussed this on a separate thread that the home ministry advised all trips out to islands to be suspended temporarily after the killing of the 2 policemen

3) And the next day, 6 more policemen were ambushed by armed pirates with machine guns, 2 kilometers from the jetty YOU would be using to board a boat to head out to Mabul.

4) As you stated, you a miles away from Borneo but you have someone on the western side of Borneo. Fantastic.

I am in Tawau, an hour 15 minutes from Semporna. And I am acutely aware of what is going on and how dangerous the situation was because it was just that. And whoever it is that is giving you intel needs their head checked. It was NOT SAFE to enter the area. It's much better now though I would advise extreme caution, regardless what a resort owner tells you. These were armed pirates with assault weapons who not only tortured the injured policemen at that water village in Semporna, but decapitated 1-2 of them as well.

I really don't think you have a grasp on what actually has transpired out here.

And for the record, Sabah Parks and the Sabah state government have enou8gh headaches as it is at the moment without introducing any ban on camera's. It is not going to happen in the forseeable future and I don't know who got this information that they were going to do just that. It's just rumors and just that. Rumors.

 

[String]

1) Nobody on here stated there was a diving ban['/quote]

I can pick out several media reports and posts elsewhere from people saying there WAS a ban. This is also just an internet forum, its hardly "official". So completely conflicting information hence the need to get an official response.

3) And the next day, 6 more policemen were ambushed by armed pirates with machine guns, 2 kilometers from the jetty YOU would be using to board a boat to head out to Mabul.

Even more reason to get an ACCURATE response off the people ACTUALLY running the businesses there rather than complete unknowns on message boards though surely....

4) As you stated, you a miles away from Borneo but you have someone on the western side of Borneo. Fantastic.

Who gets the local media both TV, internet and printed, works with and deals with officials in the area who had also heard the same reports.

I am in Tawau, an hour 15 minutes from Semporna. And I am acutely aware of what is going on and how dangerous the situation was because it was just that. And whoever it is that is giving you intel needs their head checked. It was NOT SAFE to enter the area. It's much better now though I would advise extreme caution, regardless what a resort owner tells you. These were armed pirates with assault weapons who not only tortured the injured policemen at that water village in Semporna, but decapitated 1-2 of them as well.

So be it but currently a lot of tourists are fine. This really doesn't sound any different from Egypt although there its usually the police doing the shooting and torturing.

I really don't think you have a grasp on what actually has transpired out here.

Which is why i ask for OFFICIAL information as opposed to the rants of complete unknowns on message boards whose political bias, qualifications and direct experience are completely unverifiable. Yes there maybe a problem there however there is no way to verify exactly how much of a problem, where or its effect without getting informing from as many different sources as possible to make a decision.

And for the record, Sabah Parks and the Sabah state government have enou8gh headaches as it is at the moment without introducing any ban on camera's. It is not going to happen in the forseeable future and I don't know who got this information that they were going to do just that. It's just rumors and just that. Rumors.

Yet all dive centres are citing official government documents, all dive centres agree it's going to happen (although one claims it already has) and some media outlets have actually published the document in question AND have an official confirming it....

Im fairly sure you have no idea of the logistics in organising or trying to plan a trip from the other side of the planet as really there is no way to address the multitude of conflicting information online other than to actually ask the people directly. It's not something you can plan with one days notice and just do or not do on a whim. There's significant financial cost along with time cost. Add that to the likely camera ban and mean there is now time pressure - its go soon or risk never.

 

[Progen]

Ok ok, relax. The trouble's supposed to be over at Lahad Datu, not here. As far as the accuracy of information on the Internet or even in the local (our Borneo papers) media are concerned, no one's sure what is true and what's not. I know someone's who is pretty high ranking in the police force in Sabah and even he said to take everything with more than just a pinch of salt because both sides are using disinformation in the fight.