Freedom 250: US to celebrate 250 years of independence with Sabah roadshows, praises local security

KOTA KINABALU (Jan 22): The United States Embassy in Malaysia plans to hold roadshows in Sabah as part of Freedom 250, celebrating the 250th anniversary of the United States’ independence.

“We’re celebrating it as something that we’re branding Freedom 250. We are planning on doing roadshows that will bring a number of things that will celebrate this, and we’re planning on coming to Sabah for that.

“We’ll definitely be in Kota Kinabalu,” said US Ambassador to Malaysia, Edgard D. Kagan.

He added that a variety of Freedom 250 events are expected across Malaysia, including in Kota Kinabalu and other parts of Sabah.

At the same time, the US and Malaysian militaries are also expected to conduct exercises in the state.

“They rotate around Malaysia, and there’s some that will be in Sabah,” he said to reporters at the Sabah State Library in Tanjung Aru near here.

When asked about the US travel advisory warning its citizens against visiting eastern Sabah, Kagan stressed that the final decision rests with Washington.

“All I can say is that I’ve seen firsthand, my colleagues at the embassy have also seen the tremendous progress that’s been made since the Lahad Datu (incursion) incident in 2013,” he said.

He described the Eastern Sabah Security Command (ESScom) as a success story, noting that it has effectively integrated security measures and government resources to improve safety in the region.

Kagan acknowledged that some level of caution is always expected, stating that governments are inherently cautious about it because there is risk.

‘You know, the fear is that you lower the advisory and then, you know, the next day, the next week, something terrible happens. I feel, you know, like you can never guarantee that won’t happen.

“But I feel that what we see is real commitment on the part of the Malaysian government and the Malaysian security forces as well as the Sabah government to try to address security. So I’m pretty confident that we are well on the way,” he said.

He added that while risk can never be entirely removed, the improvements observed in security, coordination, and local preparedness indicate positive developments in Sabah.