End debate on the RM12mil: Jazlan
Published on: Wednesday, June 22, 2016
Putra Jaya: Deputy Home Minister Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed has urged the public and families of the four Sarawakian hostages to kill the spotlight on the RM12 million raised for their release.Nur Jazlan said what was most important was the safety of the four men and that they were now back home with their families.He also cautioned against further discussion on the money, saying this could invite more kidnappings.
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"What matters is they have been released. Just leave it at that."Do not encourage further kidnappings. When you reveal that such a sum can be raised, about RM3 million for each hostage, then you are encouraging them to go and kidnap again," he said.He was referring to the notorious Abu Sayyaf group, the terror network said to be responsible for kidnapping the Sarawakians and several other cross-border crimes."Stop setting bad examples for future negotiations, if there are any. It will make it worst," Nur Jazlan added.
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The ongoing debate over the whereabouts of the RM12 million raised to secure the release of the four began shortly after the men were released on June 8 by their captors.According to an uncle to one of the freed hostages, the funds were raised to ransom the men and were banked in to the police on May 24.
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Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi later acknowledged that the police Special Branch unit had received the funds from the families and that the sum was then given to certain Philippine agencies, although he refused to name the organisations.The Home Minister also insisted that the money had not been used to ransom the four as the Government does not recognise kidnap-for-ransom activities.Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar, however, claimed the police never touched the money.Instead, he said the funds were handed directly to an unknown "third party" that had helped negotiate the release of the hostages.On Monday, the Manila Times reported two "highly placed sources" in the Philippines government as saying that the southern Philippine militants were angry that they had only received 100 million pesos (RM8.8 million) instead of the 130 million pesos that was raised.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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