Kuala Lumpur: John Then regrets the day he told his son that it was okay to visit Sabah's east coast. His son Bernard had returned to Kuala Lumpur from Cambodia where he was based to renew his passport.The Government was reported to have said the state was secure despite several previous cross-border kidnappings on the east coast," he said.Bernard had told his father that he and his wife were visiting a close friend in Sandakan.
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What happened next continues to haunt Bernard and his wife as his son and 50-yr-old Sabahan Thien Nyuk Fun were kidnapped by Abu Sayyaf gunmen from a seaside restaurant.Now when the handphone rings, 73-year-old Then, who lives in Kuching, does not pick up the calls.Two weeks ago, at around 10am on Sept 27, the retired civil servant answered a call from an unknown number. His son had called him. The phone line from Jolo was barely audible.
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Bernard spoke in English throughout the few minutes' call. Unusual, as usually the son and dad spoke in a mixture of Hakka and English.The hostage said the Philippines military was on a search-and-kill mission. And he felt eerie, as he had seen many corpses.
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He also told his father that he was okay. John, however, did not believe him, as he knew that his son would say he was okay so as not to worry him."Bernard told his father that he had been trying to call his wife but he couldn't get through. He told his father to inform his wife that he would call her at 7pm that night," said one of John's friends.John was so depressed and distressed that his friend wanted to share the terror the family is going through.(Bernard's 40-year-old wife Chan Wai See had switched off her handphone after receiving a chilling call from the Abu Sayyaf captors on Aug 22, claiming that they would behead her husband if ransom was not paid.)John was relieved to hear his son's voice, as the last time he had spoken to him was a day before 39-year-old Bernard was kidnapped together with 50-year-old Sabahan Thien Nyuk Fun by four Abu Sayyaf gunmen at the Ocean King Seafood Restaurant, a seaside restaurant a few kilometres from Sandakan town on May 14. They were taken 333km east of Sandakan by boat to Jolo.The phone call from Jolo also made John worried. He did not know what to do.He called his other children. They called the police who advised Chan not to switch on her handphone and John not to answer any calls with a Philippines phone number. The police did not want the emotional family to be involved in the negotiation to secure Bernard's release.At around 7pm that day, John's phone rang several times as Chan had switched off her handphone. The phone call from the Philippines number continued until this week.It was frustrating for John not to be able to answer the calls. He couldn't switch off the phone as supportive friends and family would call his number.Each time the phone rang, Bernard's 72-year-old mother Vera Yam would panic and her husband would try to calm her down.Whenever it rains in Kuching, John thinks of his youngest son. He wonders: Is it raining in Jolo? Does Bernard have enough clothing to keep him warm? How's the health of my prediabetic son?The friend said he noticed that John and Vera have lost weight, as they don't have appetite to eat. Whenever they have a meal, they'll think about whether their son has food to eat.Vera cannot sleep well as she has frequent nightmares. She wakes up in cold sweat, calling out her son's name.Her recurring nightmare is her son returning to Malaysia in a body bag. The other nightmare is that the Philippine military can't find her son and they do not know whether he is dead or alive.The parents' anxiety increased on Monday when they read in the newspaper that the Abu Sayyaf would behead the injured Bernard as he was slowing down the gunmen who were being pursued by the Philippine military. They felt hopeless, as they couldn't do anything to stop the gunmen from executing their son.John and Vera are wondering how serious Bernard's injury is. Will there be medical treatment for Bernard? Will the injury get worse if it is not treated? Will the injury heal fast as Bernard is prediabetic? Will the injury make Bernard a liability so the gunmen will behead him?Their children have tried to calm them down by saying that the Malaysian Government is working hard to secure the release of Bernard and Thien. They have to repeatedly tell their parents to trust the Government's efforts."The parents told me that they wished no other parents would have to go through the anguish of waiting for good news and at the same time fearing the worst," said the family friend.John, Bernard and other family members studied at the famous St Joseph's school in Kuching. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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