A couple of tourists from China were shocked when they discovered a hidden camera in a socket in the bedroom of their guest house in Malaysia. In the morning, the couple found another place to live, after reporting the situation to the police.
On Chinese social media, tourists said they found a small modified camera hidden in a socket opposite their bed and questioned the safety of traveling in Malaysia. The couple had booked a room at a guesthouse in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, and found the recording device during their first inspection of the property.
“When my husband shined his phone flashlight on the socket opposite the bed, he noticed a reflection, so we took the panel apart and were shocked. As you can see in the photos, we found a small camera between two USB ports,” the woman wrote, adding photos as proof of the small device.
Since it was already late when the camera was discovered, the couple had to spend the night in the room. Already at dawn, they left and found another place to stay for the duration of the trip: they did not feel comfortable sleeping or showering in that room, even after they covered the camera.
The tourists added that the owner of the guest house did not respond to their messages when they told him about the discovery of the hidden camera. They also contacted the police and informed the booking platform, receiving a refund for the stay.
Kota Kinabalu Police Chief Zaidi Abdullah said the case was being investigated under Section 509 of the Penal Code after they received the complaint. Police conducted a preliminary investigation at the scene, seized several items, and are now working to identify the suspect.
Malaysian Tourism, Arts, and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing urged all accommodation operators to pay attention to the activities of their employees and conduct background checks.
“It is undeniable that such incidents can be caused by the personal actions of irresponsible Airbnb hosts or employees,” he said.
And then he added that his ministry would seek to strengthen security and accountability measures to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future. Tiong also strongly condemned the dastardly act of hiding the cameras, saying it not only violates the law but also harms the image of the country’s tourism industry.