Moved to pen his thoughts after reading The Star headline on the kidnapping case in Sabah, which read ‘Trouble in Paradise’, veteran journalist A Kadir Jasin claimed that the security situation has deteriorated over the years.

“Yes, God has given us many heavenly places, but due to our ineptitude, incompetence and lack of leadership at all levels - down to the local police and military commanders - these places have been turned into hell by gunmen and kidnappers,” he said in a blog post.

With incursions, kidnapping and outright attacks becoming common in that part of Malaysia, Kadir (right) asked: “So what paradise is The Star talking about?”

To save whatever is left of Malaysia’s reputation and credibility, the former New Straits Times editor-in-chief said tourists should not be given the false impression that the eastern seaboard of Sabah is safe.

“We stop promising them safety and security, when we have clearly failed miserably to secure the area decades after it become part of our sovereign territory.

“If we are still hard up for the tourist dollar, we should at least be frank with them. Tell them that they are visiting these islands and beaches at their own risk,” he added.
     
Kadir, who is said to be close to certain forces in Umno who are critical of the current prime minister, also ticked off Najib Abdul Razak in the matter.

Situation not improved

Lamenting on the lack of security, he said that things have not improved since Najib became prime minister in 2009.

“It appears that the louder our leaders speak, the more money they spend on defence and security, and the more agencies they set up, the less secure and safe the country becomes.

“Maybe we have never actually learnt how to govern Sarawak and Sabah. They are too dissimilar to the peninsula.

“Recognising these dissimilarities and their unique position as British colonies, they were granted considerable autonomy when they joined the Federation of Malaya to become Malaysia in 1963,” he added.

Adding a supernatural twist, Kadir also wondered about the series of misfortunes in the country.

“What has been happening in the country in the last few years - topped by the disappearance of MH370 almost a month ago - reminds me of the Sang Kelembai.

“This mysterious supernatural being in the Malay folklore is so evil and sinister that anybody who runs into him and anything he touches turns into rock,” he said.

“Are we, figuratively speaking, in the grips of Sang Kelembai? Pray to God that we are not.”