Three-year-old's wish coincides with release
Published on: Tuesday, March 28, 2017
Tawau: "Bu, ndak lama ayah pulang kan (mummy, daddy will be home soon, right?)." This was the question often asked by Nur Ain Sofiah over the past week especially when visitors came to their home in Kg Otentik, Tanjung Batu Laut (pic). The three-year-old is the second daughter of Mohd Ridzuan Ismail, 32, one of the three Malaysian seamen who is reported to be receiving treatment in the Philippines, freed eight months after they were kidnapped by Abu Sayyaf gunmen on July 18 last year.
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Two others are Fandy Bakran, 26, and Mohamad Jumadil Rahim, 23, who were abducted along with two others, Tayudin Anjut,45, and the skipper Abdul Rahim Summas, 62.They are crewmen of the Serudong 3 tugboat which was heading to Semporna from Sandakan when the kidnapping took place. "All I could say is that hopefully it is true…I am thankful that this small child's instinct has turned out to be true with news of the five now being safe," said Sofiah's mother, Hariyanti Hamsih, 31. "My daughter (Sofiah) started talking about her father's return home since last week, two days prior to receiving news of Tayudin and Abdul Rahim's rescue … almost every day she would say that until today.
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God has heard our prayers," she said. She recalled feeling shocked when informed of the release of three more hostages, including her husband, from members of the media who asked her about it.
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"I am very happy and grateful …the eight months of waiting will soon be over," she said. She said she immediately contacted her brother-in-law in the peninsula who, in turn, called the Eastern Sabah Security Command to get confirmation about the release of the three. "This is the happiest news for our family … the last I spoke to my husband was in January. I contacted him after he dialled my number and he pleaded for their quick release because all five have fallen ill," she said. Hariyanti said the first thing she will do when reunited with her husband is to hug the father of their three children, I want to tell him 'Alhamdulillah, syukur kita dapat berjumpa semula.'She thanked the Malaysian and Philippines government as well as the security enforcement team from both countries as well as the media for the assistance rendered to her husband and the four who were finally reported to be safe. "Thank you to all the people for the donations, to our siblings and family for their unfailing support. Only God can repay all the support and kindness," she said. Apart from Sofiah, Mohd Ridzuan who is from Kampung Jengka 7, Pahang and Hariyanti are also blessed with two daughters, six-year-old Noridawati who is a child with special needs and 11-months-old Nur Amira Nasuha.Meanwhile, Hariyanti's mother Hasnah Summas, 53, whose brother is also among the kidnapped victims, Abdul Rahim Summas, is equally grateful after receiving news of their release. "I cannot wait to be reunited with my brother and son-in-law," she said."I thank God for hearing our prayers … the past eight months have been most difficult for us. We only had each other for support with hopes of having a happy ending," she said. News of their release brought tears of joy to Hasnah who was unable to fight back the tears after being told of the much awaited news. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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Meanwhile, Eastern Sabah Security Command Commander Dato Wan Abd Bari Wan Abd Khalid on Monday confirmed that Rahim and Tayudin were rescued by their Philippine counterparts on March 23, while Fandy, Jumadil and Ridzuan on March 26. All five were kidnapped by Abu Sayyaf gunmen in the Dent Heaven waters off Lahad Datu on July 18 last year, after their boat was found abandoned. - Lagatah Toyos