Sabah & Sarawak News August 03, 2009 12:55 PM Sabah To Form Special Committee On H1N1 KOTA KINABALU, Aug 3 (Bernama) -- Sabah will form a special committee to monitor the spread of Influenza A (H1N1) virus in the state, Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman said Monday. He said the committee would be chaired by Tourism, Culture and Environment Committee Chairman Datuk Masidi Manjun, with Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister's Department Datuk Edward Khoo as the deputy. "This special committee will monitor and report on the development of the H1N1 infection to the state cabinet from time to time," he said in response to a question from Datuk Rubin Balang (BN-Kemabong) at the State Assembly sitting here. Musa said that until yesterday, 273 people, including 156 men, in Sabah had been tested positive for the H1N1 virus with Kota Kinabalu recording the highest number of cases at 164. Meanwhile, Masidi said tourist arrivals in the state dropped by 0.8 per cent during the first five months of this year compared with the corresponding period last year. The drop in the number of tourists coming to Sabah was due to economic factors, and not because of the Influenza A (H1N1) pandemic, he added. -- BERNAMA