Aussies issue terror alert for KL

The Australian government is urging its citizens to stay away from Kuala Lumpur on grounds that terrorists are planning attacks targeting Western interests or locations frequented by Westerners. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, February 21, 2016.Terrorists may be planning attacks in and around Kuala Lumpur, the Australian government said in a post on its website today. 

The government said attacks may target Western interests or locations frequented by Westerners.

The United Kingdom also warned citizens in the past week against travel to coastal islands in Sabah, near the Philippines, citing high threats to foreigners of kidnapping and criminality. 

Australia advises its citizens to exercise normal safety precautions across Malaysia.

It urged them to avoid all travel to the coastal resorts of eastern Sabah, including islands, dive sites and associated tourist facilities due to the high threat of kidnapping. New Zealand classifies travel to the area as “high risk”.

A Malaysian Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesman referred to a comment made yesterday, saying that it would keep other foreign missions informed on security developments.

“We also acknowledged the fact that foreign missions are at liberty to provide their own assessment of the security situation in their host countries albeit the fact that it may not be accurate or give a true reflection of the situation,” the spokesman, who asked not to be identified, said today.

The US State Department doesn’t have a travel advisory specifically for Malaysia.

In a travel warning for the Philippines updated October 2015, it said American citizens should defer non-essential travel to the Sulu Archipelago, a chain of islands between the southern Philippines and Sabah, because of the high threat of kidnappings and violence linked to insurgency and terrorism. – Bloomberg, February 21, 2016.