'I didn't dare to undress or take a shower': Chinese couple discover hidden camera in Malaysia Airbnb room

A romantic honeymoon to Sabah was ruined for a Chinese couple when they discovered a hidden camera in their Airbnb room. 

Recounting their experience on Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu, the couple said they arrived in Kota Kinabalu on Sept 6. 

It was about 3am when they checked into their rented room. As they were getting ready to turn in for the night, they discovered a hidden camera lodged within a wall socket in the room. 

The camera, planted in between two USB ports, was also strategically placed to point towards the bed. 

"I didn't dare to undress or take a shower that day," the female tourist recounted. Her partner later covered the camera with a piece of tissue. 

"Discovered hidden cameras in the guest house. Is it safe to travel to Malaysia?" she also wrote in her post.

The couple subsequently lodged a police report, but claimed that the police told them to take down the social media post. 

Sabah police investigating 

On Sept 7, Kota Kinabalu police chief Zaidi Abdullah confirmed that they received a report from the Chinese couple, reported The Star. 

Zaidi told the media that a probe was conducted at the premises, and the spy camera was seized. 

"Efforts are under way to identity the suspect(s) involved," he said, adding that the police were investigating the case under suspicion of outrage of modesty. 

Zaidi also denied claims that the couple were told to delete the post.

Meanwhile, Airbnb's general manager for India, South-east Asia, Hong Kong and Taiwan, Amanpreet Bajaj told The Star: "We ban hidden cameras and were disappointed to hear of this reported incident. Our dedicated safety team has also removed the Host's account and listings pending an investigation.

"While safety incidents are rare on Airbnb, we take reports such as these seriously, and we have been providing support to our guest."

READ ALSO: How to check for hidden cameras in hotels

claudiatan@asiaone.com