Malaysian diver arrested for molesting Chinese tourist underwater

By Hoang Phong May 10, 2023 | 12:59 am PT

Scuba divers off Malaysia. Photo by AFP

A diving instructor in Malaysia has been detained on suspicion of kissing a Chinese woman, underwater, without her consent while they were diving off Mataking Island.

The tourist lodged an official complaint to Malaysian police, accusing the 27-year-old instructor of molesting her in waters off Semporna in Sabah state on May 5, Police Chief Assistant Superintendent Arif Abdul Razak said Monday, as reported by Strait Times.

The incident went viral after photos of the tourist and the diver surfaced on Facebook.

In two photos, the diver is seen removing his regulator from his mouth and kissing the tourist on the cheek.

The victim lodged a complaint with the Semporna police before flying back to China, police said

The diver is being investigated "for using criminal force to outrage the modesty of the woman."

Christina Liew, tourism, culture and environment minister of Sabah, said that the incident dented the image of Malaysia's tourism industry just as it was beginning to recover from the pandemic.