Five of the notorious 10 naked tourists on a mountaintop in Malaysia have been arrested, while authorities there continue pursuing the rest of the unruly gang, thought to still be at large in the country.
The disrespectful crew has been sought by police since posing for crude selfies on Mount Kinabalu, a place deemed sacred to locals and guarded by “protectors” for centuries.
The 10, who range in age from 21 to 33, were scaling the majestic mountainside together on May 30, 2015. Once they reached the summit, however, they stripped off their clothing for a *prank* photo session intended to be shared on the Web.
Objections to their shameful conduct by a tour guide were greeted with equal disdain, witnesses state, and it’s also claimed that the 10 hurled insults at the man, as well as at the fabled mountain itself and the native people who dwell in its shadow.
In addition to the nude pics they uploaded, the suspects, who hail from Canada, Britain and Holland, also urinated on the pristine mountaintop; posting boastful messages online about the rude event they staged, in addition to scorn aplenty for those seeking to arrest them for it.
Their obscenely callous act preceded an earthquake in the region about a week later, which many superstitious Malaysians now believe was caused by the naked tourists incident.
Tan Sri Alfred Jabu, the deputy first minister of the Malaysia mountain province, is one of those who blame the ingrate guests for angering Mount Kinabalu’s ancient spirits and therefore bringing on the quake as punishment.
“We local people believe that there is someone -- the guardians,” Jabu sincerely warned, “and there is a form of order of sacredness for those who go to the mountain to respect."
He also felt it necessary now to remind all visiting foreigners that, "some places have their own historical background and are sacred to the local community. As such, visitors to these places should respect the place, the local traditions, and cultures.”
Interestingly enough, 18 climbers on Mount Kinabalu perished in the devastating June 5th tremor.
