Four M'sian kidnap victims safe and treated well: IGP
Published on: Thursday, May 05, 2016
Papar: The four Sarawakians who were kidnapped by gunmen, believed to be Abu Sayyaf militants, are reportedly being well looked after by the kidnappers.Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said he was notified by intelligence reports that the four kidnap victims are safe and being given good treatment by their abductors."We are still making efforts to ensure the four are rescued and thus, I do not wish to comment further or reveal too much on what we are doing to get them back.
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"It is sufficient for me to say that we are doing our level best for the sake of these four victims as well as making sure they would return home safely," he said.Police have identified the four Malaysians kidnap victims as Wong Teck Kang, 31, and Wong Teck Chii, 29, believed to be brothers, Wong Hung Sing, 34, and Johnny Lau Jung Hien, 21. They were kidnapped from a Malaysian-registered tugboat near Ligitan Island, Semporna on April 1.Khalid said this in a press conference after presenting 200 National Sovereignty Medals (PKN) to 200 officers and personnel of the General Operations Force (GOF), Marine and Air Unit under the police force, at a multipurpose hall of the GOF 16th Battalion in Kinarut, here, Wednesday.The Government recognised the contributions and services of these medal recipients who were involved in the "Ops Daulat" during the incursion by Sulu militants in Lahad Datu in February 2013.
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Also present were State Police Commissioner Datuk Abd Rashid Harun and other senior officials. Apart from presenting the PKN medals, Khalid admitted that another reason he came to Sabah was to meet his men and discuss with them efforts and measures to rescue the four kidnapped Malaysians.
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To a question, he said the abductors are always moving from one place to another to avoid detection by the security forces.On the existence of Sulu commanders in each of the 60 State constituencies in Sabah as revealed by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi last month, Khalid said it is the police's duty to ensure Sabah is safe. "This issue is still being investigated and we will announce it when the time is suitable," he said.Opposition leaders, including Star Sabah Chief Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan, have questioned whether police have made any arrests. In response, Khalid said the police are not just sitting idle on the matter.Meanwhile, the Indonesian barge, Anand 12, which was hijacked by the Abu Sayyaf militants in Philippine waters on March 26, was handed to the representative of PT Brahma International through an appointed lawyer on Wednesday. Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) Sandakan district director, Capt A. Razak Abd Rahman, said the owner of the barge was able to be identified thanks to assistance from Wisma Putra and cooperation between both countries."Public information prompted the MMEA team to find the barge laden with 6,300 metric tonnes of coal," he said, adding that the barge was towed to Fordeco jetty in Lahad Datu with assistance from the Eastern Sabah Security Command (Esscom) and marine police on April 4.He said this during the handover ceremony. Meanwhile, MMEA Investigating Officer, Second Lt. Mohd Eary Ismail, said their forensics team with the Lahad Datu Fire and Rescue Department has conducted investigations on the barge.He said no traces or evidence were found after various forensic procedures were conducted on the barge, adding that a sweeping process on the coal and the barge also failed to find any evidence."Further investigation was conducted on April 8 to April 28 to identify the owner of the barge," he added.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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