In Malaysia, a diving instructor kissed a 24-year-old Chinese tourist underwater while diving off Semporna, Sabah. The man was arrested for this act, according to the South China Morning Post.
The diving instructor, a 27-year-old local resident, was charged with harassment, police officer Arif Abdul Razak reported. A Chinese tourist wrote a statement against him before flying to her hometown. She also shared the story on social media, attaching a camera screenshot of the moment of the kiss underwater.
Police said the perpetrator would be in custody for several days to facilitate investigation. He faces punishment under section 354 of the local Penal Code on the use of criminal force to insult the modesty of a woman.
Sabah Tourism Minister Christina Lew said: “Such incidents greatly affect the image of tourism in the Semporna region in particular and in Sabah in in general, especially as the tourism industry is just recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic.”
Christina Liu called the incident “unfortunate” and said she wants all those involved in the tourism business to be held accountable for protecting the industry's image. “I encourage all travel agents in the state to play their part in providing quality service. They should be held accountable to ensure that incidents like this don't happen again,” she said.
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