KOTA KINABALU - Police are looking at the possibility that the gunmen who shot dead a foreign tourist and kidnapped his partner on Pulau Pom Pom had inside help.
A joint force operation would be carried out to track those assisting the gunmen or protecting them soon, said Federal Internal Security and Public Order director Datuk Seri Salleh Mat Rashid.
“No arrests have been made yet but I believe this operation will shed light on the case,” he said at the state police headquarters in Kepayan yesterday.
Present were Sabah police commissioner Datuk Hamza Taib and Eastern Sabah Security Command (Esscom) Defence Division director Major-General Datuk Abdul Halim Jalal.
Salleh said Esscom forces would boost and expand security to ensure tourist areas were safe.
Hamza said the Taiwanese couple were not husband and wife, as previously reported in the local and Taiwanese media.
He said, the couple had been living together.
"We received our information and confirmation from the other side (Taiwanese government). We are working closely with Taiwanese officials. They are here with us in Semporna."
Question mark on ransom demand
Asked whether a ransom demand had been made, as was reported in the Taiwan media, and whether there was contact between people in the Philippines and the victim's family, Hamza said: "As far as police are concerned, we are investigating this case in accordance to our procedures.
"What is written by Taiwanese reporters, we do not know. They are not in communication with us."
He also dismissed reports that An Wei Chang could have been the main target.
She was reported to have been a friend of Taiwan First Lady Chow Mei-ching.
"So far, we do not know. We have recorded more than 20 or 30 statements but nothing has been disclosed on this point.
"We are monitoring and we are keeping in touch with our counterparts on the other side.
"Their officers are in Semporna, assisting us in the investigation."
In Kuala Lumpur, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar confirmed that a terrorist group based in southern Philippines was responsible for the incident. However, he declined to reveal further information.
He said An's safety was the priority right now, and police were working closely with all related agencies and the Philippines government.
"What I can say is that the group responsible for the incident is a terrorist gang based in southern Philippines.
"As I have said before, we do not want to discuss anything about the victim, the kidnappers and their demands to the media.
"We learnt that an English daily has continued to publish news about the victim, and I want to advise them to stop.
"Please be responsible. If you want something to happen to her, then by all means continue writing about her," he said at Federal police headquarters in Bukit Aman.
He was commenting on a news report claiming that An was targeted as she was a classmate to the wife of Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou, and that both victims "were wealthy".
On a news report by Taiwan CTi TV alleging that police were "sleeping" and had been slow in responding to the 1am incident, Khalid said it was not true.
"They received the wrong information from sources who did not know what really happened.
" I want to urge these people to get accurate information, and not to simply make allegations."
The police will send officers to meet the victims' family, who are expected to arrive in Sabah today.
He said police believed the family had been fed with unclear stories, which "could be made up by people who dislike the police force".
Khalid said police are also discussing with resort operators the importance of allowing security forces to patrol their premises.
"Some might think our presence will scare away their customers. We believe this is not the case. We are talking to them."
On Friday, gunmen broke into a Pom Pom Island Resort chalet and shot dead Li Min Hsu, 57, before abducting his partner, An, 58.
In the 1am incident, the group escaped in a boat in the direction of Mataking, an island close to southern Philippines.
The nearest island in the Philippines is Pulau Malamanuk, where police believe the group could have been hiding.
Sources who described Li as a "big man", said the kidnappers left behind valuables and cash in the room he and An were occupying.
"It took four men to carry his body (out of the room). We found four of the couple's bags in the room," one source said.
A China-based portal, Sina Dailynews, had quoted Li's relative as describing the deceased as a big man of about 180cm in height and weighing about 120kg.
Both Li and An were reported to be successful textile entrepreneurs in China and Taiwan.
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