A couple of tourists from China were shocked to discover a hidden camera in a socket in the bedroom of their guest house in Malaysia. In the morning, the couple found another home, having previously reported the situation to the police, Says writes.
On a Chinese social media site, tourists said they found a small, modified camera hidden in a socket opposite the bed and asked about the safety of traveling in Malaysia. The couple booked a guest house in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, and found a recording device on their first inspection of the property.
“When my husband shined his flashlight on the socket across the bed he noticed a reflection so we took the panel apart and were shocked. As you can see in the photos, we discovered a small camera between the two USB ports,” the woman wrote, adding photos as evidence 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 during the trip: it was not comfortable for them to sleep or take a shower in that room, even after they covered the camera.
The tourists added that the owner of the guest house did not respond to their message 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 their stay.
Kota Kinabalu police chief Zaidi Abdullah said the case was being investigated under Section 509 of the Penal Code after they received a complaint. Police conducted a preliminary investigation at the scene, seized several items, and are currently working to identify the suspect.
Malaysia’s Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing urged all accommodation operators to pay attention to the activities of their employees and conduct background checks. “It cannot be denied that such incidents can be caused by the personal actions of irresponsible Airbnb hosts or employees,” he said.
He then added that his ministry would try to strengthen security and accountability measures to prevent similar incidents from happening again in the future. Tiong also strongly condemned the dastardly act of hiding the cameras, saying it not only violates the law but also damages the image of the country’s tourism industry.