Malaysian tribal leaders and officials have released the cause of the deadly 6-0 magnitude earthquake that killed 16 of their men.
The leaders from the state of Sabah have officially called for the arrest of the 10 tourists after allegedly stripping and taking nude photos on Mount Kinabalu last month, and in doing so, "disrespecting the spirits."
Masidi Manjun, the state's tourism, culture and environment minister, told NBC News that "Mount Kinabalu is considered a very sacred place by the natives of Sabah, and any action that could be interpreted as belittling the mountain is considered a very serious offense."
The Western group of tourists include two Canadians, two Dutch, and a German national.
Canada's Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed of their knowledge of what happened in Sabah, and are now working with local officials. However, no arrests have been announced yet.
A week after the group allegedly took the naked pictures and posted them on social media, the earthquake struck, killed 16 people, and trapped 100 climbers on the mountain.
"The quake can be taken as a confirmation of what we feared could be the consequence of their actions," Sabah's deputy chief minister, Joseph Pairin Kitingan said, strongly telling the media that the tourists' actions angered the spirits of the mountain.
"We have to take this tragedy as a reminder that local beliefs and customs cannot be disrespected."
"The belief among the natives is that the souls of the departed will rest on the mountain before the day of judgment," he added. "They practice rituals to honor the mountain."
The Kadazan-Dusun people, who believe in the reason for the earthquake, make up 30 percent of Sabah's population of 32 million. Manjun added that the group follows the "native" law, which operates separately from the Westernized legal system.
Therefore, in the tribesmen's laws, the tourists have committed a crime, said Manjun.
Officials of Sabah are also planning to hold a ritual at Mount Kinabalu in order to "appease the spirits."
