Mount Kinabalu Tourists Arrested For Nudity, Malaysians Fear Earthquake From Angry Spirits

Malaysian authorities say they had Mount Kinabalu tourists arrested for public indecency and urinating on a mountain, which many locals consider sacred. It is claimed the tourists’ nude photos offended the “mountain spirit,” and the resulting magnitude-5.9 quake killed 18 climbers within a week. Now, further rumblings have been heard from Mount Kinabalu, and it is feared another quake may strike the area.

In a related report by the Inquisitr, one of the Mount Kinabalu tourists arrested was a British woman named Eleanor Hawkins. The local police have arrested four people so far, but they are also looking for another six.

“We detained all four of them on Tuesday … and yes, we are still searching for the other six tourists, and we will catch them,” the local police chief said.

The lawyer for the group has said that none of the four people, including Dutch tourist Dylan Snel and two Canadian siblings, Lindsey and Danielle Petersen, have been officially charged with any crime yet.

“None of them have been charged. We cannot jump the gun,” lawyer Ronny Cham told Channel NewsAsia. “Don’t take it too seriously as though they are going to be charged.”

It is possible that all four will face charges for “committing obscene acts in a public place” on Mount Kinabalu, which can be punished with three months in prison, but a local priest named Tindarama Aman Sirom Simbuna has already stated what the punishment should be.

“The tourists who angered the guardian of the mountain should pay for their mistakes by giving sogit. This should be in the form of ten male or female buffalo.”

Unfortunately, the Malaysian authorities had the Mount Kinablu tourists arrested without considering how their cellmates may treat them after disturbing the sacred mountain. The lawyer Cham claims the locals are blaming the naked tourists for “offending the mountain” and are condemning them for “causing the earthquake.”

According to the Times Of Malta, Emil Kaminski, who circulated the photos of the naked tourists in the first place, has made a 12-minute YouTube video entitled Trolling Malaysia, in which he attacked critics by saying, “Jesus Christ, people, it is just a f****** mountain.” Kaminski also attacked Sabah’s Tourism Minister, Masidi Manjun, whom he called “an idiot” for allegedly linking the deadly earthquake to the naked photos.

British media outlets like the Sun have also ran headlines mocking the Malaysians beliefs.

Deputy Chief Minister of Sabah, Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan, specifically blamed the naked Mount Kinabalu tourists for the tragic earthquake, based upon this quote.

“The tourists showed disrespect to the sacred mountain and will face appropriate action according to native laws. Whether other people believe this or not, it’s what we Sabahans believe. When the earthquake happened, it’s like a confirmation of our beliefs. There is almost certainly a connection. We have to take this as a reminder that local beliefs and customs are not to be disrespected.”

The religious beliefs of some of these Malaysians may be confirmed even more based upon the recent rumblings heard around Mount Kinabalu. About 750 villagers at Kampung Kiau Nuluh heard an earthquake that they described as sounding like the crash of thunder.

“I thought it was a helicopter but actually rocks were rolling down the mountain. I ran to a field for safety,” explained Lucy Suin, according to Bernama. “The falling rocks have now flattened the forest at the mountain foothill. It wasn’t like this on June 5. You can clearly see that the area is bare now.”

Another resident, Sinail Dunsun, said the sound of Mount Kinabalu’s earthquake sent him rushing from his house in fear.

“I have been living here for more than 40 years and never experienced any incident of this magnitude here before,” he said. “It made me very afraid, especially when all I see at the foot of the mountain which used to be a forest is now a flat area.”

Sabah state deputy chief minister Kitingan has said a special ritual will be held to “appease the mountain spirit.” Although authorities had the Mount Kinabalu tourists arrested, their lawyer also says they were only remanded for four days, which ends on Saturday.

[Image via Emil Kaminski]