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What did the initial reports say?
The first indication that Malaysians blamed foreigners taking naked pictures on the country’s highest peak for the deadly earthquake came after news agency reports of comments on social media, where images of the tourists were being circulated.
The anger escalated after a press conference called by Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan, the deputy chief minister and a key Kadazan Dusun figure.
In comments reported by the Malay Mail and elsewhere, Pairin said the tourists should be taken to a local court and charged according to local customs.
“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. It is a sacred mountain and you cannot take it lightly.
“There is almost certainly a connection. We have to take this as a reminder that local beliefs and customs are not to be disrespected.”
Many locals have agreed with Pairin. Fendi Adam, a teenager member of the Dusun tribe, told the Guardian: “It was the first earthquake we had that we felt here in Kota Kinabalu.
“The spirits don’t like what they did. They should be kept in jail for a long time.”
Sabah’s chief tribal priest, Tindarama Aman Sirom Simbuna, told Malaysia’s Star newspaper that the tourists should be fined 10 head of buffalo in line with local customs.
It quoted him saying: “According to local beliefs, the spirit of the mountain is very angry,” he said. “This fine, called sogit in the native tongue, should be in the form of 10 male or female buffaloes.”
Were the foreigners actually arrested for causing the earthquake?
No. Although there have been calls to try the tourists in local courts and according to tribal laws, that is not what has happened.
The four who have been arrested in Malaysia will face charges under the national penal code, and the alleged offences do not have any connection to the earthquake.
Hawkins’ lawyer, Ronny Cham, said “causing annoyance by conducting obscene acts in a public place” is the likely charge.
Masidi Manjun, Sabah state tourism minister, said Malaysians “especially those in Sabah were very upset” at some tabloid reports suggesting the tourists were arrested for angering the mountain gods and for causing the earthquake.
“They were remanded for four days for further investigation for alleged offence or offences under the penal code. Definitely they were not arrested for causing a ‘deadly earthquake’,” Masidi said.
“We never said the naked stunt caused the earthquake. Sabahans were ‘boiling hot’ for their total disrespect of Mt Kinabalu, considered sacred by Sabah’s largest indigenous tribe, even before the earthquake happened. The earthquake multiplies their anger 1,000 times.”
Were the ‘earthquake’ claims even started by Malaysians?
Masidi has claimed the rumour that the nude pictures caused the earthquake was started initially not by Malaysians, but by the alleged ringleader of the stripping travellers, a Canadian called Emil Kaminski.
The self-described “perpetual backpacker” was the first to post the naked picture on Mt Kinabalu, and has subsequently posted multiple times on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube about the incident.
Kaminski, who Hawkins’ father called a “halfwit”, has a Facebook page with a number of nude pictures taken at altitude, most of which appear to be in his home country of Canada.
It does not, however, appear to be the case that Kaminski was the first to connect his nudity with the earthquake.
The first reference Kaminski makes to the affair is on his Facebook page, where he links to reports of deputy chief minister Pairin’s comments about the earthquake.
“Some deranged **** has linked earthquakes and mountaintop nudity,” he wrote.
“Well, apparently I am responsible for the 2015 Nepal quake, and whatever incoming quakes in Canada (as well as Thailand, India, China, Taiwan, Hongkong, and a variety of other countries)...”
His later postings include a video called Trolling Malaysia which sees him continue to mock the outrage. “Jesus Christ people, it’s just a **bleep**ing mountain,” he says.
But despite the distastefulness of the posts, it does seem like Kaminski has only reacted to, although possibly fuelled, anger about the link between the nude photos and the earthquake – which already existed.
the guardian
