Sabah Parks director Jamili Nais said the decision took into account the safety of mountain climbers, saying they could feel uncomfortable if they do not share the political affiliation of their guides.

“Imagine if a guide openly showed his political affiliation to climbers who happen to support rival parties. Surely the climbers or tourists will feel uncomfortable and even unsafe,” he told FMT.

The three mountain guides were suspended from work for two months until May 31, after pictures of them holding the Warisan flag appeared on the social media last week.

One of them, Jomius Binte, received a letter from Kinabalu Park manager Yassin Miki on Tuesday, accusing them of defiling their profession by mixing politics with work.

“Your action not only invited negative perception on mountain guides, but also compelled us to take stern action against the unethical behaviour,” the letter stated.

Jamili said the suspension order was made after consulting with the Mount Kinabalu Guides Association.

“Everybody has the democratic right to support a political party of their choice. However, Sabah Parks staff and mountain guides, who are freelancers licenced by Sabah Parks, should not bring any political elements, either the government or opposition, to the workplace,” he said.