Kidnappers strike again in Sabah east coast

Are Muslim rebels from Southern Philippines responsible for the latest kidnapping in Sabah?

LAHAD DATU: Nerves once again jangled here following the kidnapping of three businessmen this week. The daring seaside nabbing has all but shattered the brief tranquility the district had begun to enjoy of late.

Police boats and security personnel were yesterday patrolling the state coastline neighbouring the Southern Philippines inspecting all craft in the vicinity to prevent a group of heavily armed men fleeing with their captives to a safe haven.

The incident unfolded at around 3:30pm on Wednesday when a group of businessmen went to inspect one of their birds’ nest farms at a seaside location near Felda Sahabat 15 in Tungku.

Informed sources said five men, three armed with rifles, approached the group shortly after they arrived at the site and ordered them to hand over their cash and valuables before ordering, at gunpoint, three members the group to board their boat that was moored at a beach nearby.

The father of one of the kidnapped men, a plantation owner who gave his name as Chong, was allowed to go free along with some of his workers. Chong’s son, a relative and his business partner named Wong and his son however were being held captive.

The kidnappers however later released Wong but refused to free the two sons aged 33 and 25, telling Wong in heavily accented Malay, “kalau ada duit boleh lah” before they left.

The two freed men arrived at the Cendrawasih police station in Felda within minutes of each other to alert police of the kidnapping.

Sources said the armed men, one with his face hidden by a mask and three carrying long firearms believed to be rifles, had demanded Chong hand over his gold chain, rings, watch, cell phone and all his cash before ordering him and his workers to leave.

The armed men then marched Wong and his son together with Chong’s son to a nearby blue coloured boat before freeing Wong.

District police chief, Supt Shamsudin Mat, who was on a holiday break with his wife at neighbouring Felda Sahabat 16 was at the crime scene half hour after the incident took place after being informed by Cendrawasih police station following Chong’s report.

After confirming the incident, he ordered the mobilisation of the Marine Police, General Operation Force and Maritime personnel to cordon off the area and search all vessels in the vicinity.

The navy and Police Air Unit in Tawau also joined the search. Refueling problems and bad weather however delayed the arrival of the police helicopter an hour-and-a-half after the incident was reported.

While police have not discounted that the kidnappers and their victims could still be hiding in nearby areas as the sea conditions was dangerous to small vessels due to stormy weather in the evening, they are also aware that such conditions would not hamper anyone with experience and knowledge of the area.

Audacious criminal act

The site of the incident just about 30 nautical miles from the Philippines islands of Sibutu and Paguan in Bongao province.

According to sources, intelligence personnel have also been called in to assist as police believe one of the men who was wearing a mask could be a worker in the plantation sector in Felda.

Heavy rains forced Sabah police commissioner Hamzah Taib to cancel his visit to the district. Inspector General of Police, Bakri Omar is expected to arrive in Kota Kinabalu Friday afternoon for a briefing on the case.

Both kidnapped victims’ fathers were seen at the police station here today, but refused to comment when approached by the local media saying they had been instructed by OCPD here.

This is the second kidnapping case in recent memory that has taken place in Tungku Felda. The first happened in mid 90s when a manager attached to Ecovest construction company was kidnapped and taken to somewhere in Bongao province.

The manager was released a month later after his kidnappers received RM100,000 as ransom from the company.

It is believed that the two fathers were released to enable them to collect ransom money for the release of their sons. It was not known if either party has made contact since.

The incident comes just weeks after British royals Prince William and his wife Kate Middleton visited the famed Danum Valley rainforest conservation area near here.

Just a week ago the state government and an American multi-national company signed a three billion ringgit deal to build the world’s first integrated lobster aquaculture park park sited in nearby Semporna.

Expectations were high that such audacious criminal acts were at an end especially after the Muslim rebels waging a four-decade insurgency in the Southern Philippines and who have frequently crossed over into Sabah, signed a historic pact with the Philippines government last month to end the conflict.

However, many of the rebels are still heavily armed but poor. Booming business this side of the border is a temptation that is hard to resist.

Previous abductions

The last reported abduction from the east coast of Sabah was in 2010 when two seaweed farmers were taken from Sebangkat Island off Semporna by gunmen.

They were taken to Tawi-Tawi Island and released unharmed in December that year. A ransom was paid to secure their release.

In 2003, seven foreigners were taken hostage from a resort located in an oil palm estate in Silam, Lahad Datu.

In 2000, two abductions took place when the Abu Sayyaf kidnapped 23 people, including tourists, from Sipadan. In the second incident, they took three Malaysians from Pulau Pandanan off Semporna.