Tourist makes police report – about mosquitoes in hotel room

Malacca Exco man says police report should be warning to hoteliers to keep their rooms clean.

PETALING JAYA: While locals seem a bit lackadaisical about keeping mosquitoes at bay, a Chinese tourist decided he had to do something when he found the insects in his hotel room.

With the help of an interpreter, he went to the Banda Hilir police station in Malacca to lodge a report against the hotel on Saturday.

Star Online said the tourist was apparently fearful of contracting Zika.

Just today, the government reported that there were 40 suspected Zika cases in the country.

The newspaper said the 67-year-old tourist, from Shanghai, was holidaying here with his wife.

He claimed he saw mosquitoes and other insects in his hotel room.

The daily quoted a 32-year-old local tour guide, who wished to remain anonymous, as saying the tourist wanted to send a message to hoteliers not to take the Zika threat lightly.

Malacca Health, Sport Development and Anti-Drugs Committee Deputy Chairman Ng Choon Koon said the police report should be an eye-opener to make hoteliers take measures to keep their rooms clean and free from mosquitoes.

He said 105,928 inspections and destruction of aedes breeding grounds had been carried out so far this year in the state.

A total of 1,684 dengue cases, with six deaths, were recorded until Sept 12 this year, a 15 per cent increase over the same period last year.