KOTA KINABALU: Malaysia has slipped slightly to 13th place in the 2024 Global Peace Index, down from 10th last year, but the government says the country remains firmly on track in its commitment to national and regional security.

Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the dip does not reflect any deterioration in Malaysia’s safety or security levels, noting that the country’s overall peace score remained unchanged from 2023.

“Our ranking dropped not because of any decline on our part, but because two Scandinavian countries improved their peace scores and moved ahead of us,” he explained.

Speaking after launching the Eastern Sabah Security Command (Esscom)-KDN MADANI Adopted Village Programme at Kampung Inderasabah, Saifuddin stressed that Malaysia still ranks as one of the safest countries in the Asia-Pacific, alongside Singapore, Japan and New Zealand.

“This minor shift in position should not overshadow the consistent efforts by all agencies, especially Esscom, in maintaining security, particularly in high-risk areas like Sabah’s east coast,” he said.

He added that Malaysia’s strong performance is the result of coordinated action by agencies under the Ministry, particularly Esscom, which continues to play a critical role in safeguarding vulnerable regions.

“We are still in the top tier among 165 countries. The focus now is to maintain momentum and use our safety credentials to draw more tourists and investors,” he said.

Saifuddin also noted that the increasing number of international tourists arriving in Semporna and surrounding areas, along with new international flight routes to Tawau, reflects growing global confidence in the region’s security.

The event also marked the launch of the Esscom Madani Adopted Village Programme, with RM1mil allocated to each selected village for both physical and non-physical development projects, including school upgrades and community infrastructure improvements.