Malaysian kidnapped by Abu Sayyaf dies

A Malaysian who was kidnapped in the waters of Pegasus Reef, Kinabatangan on Dec 6, Jari Abdullah, has died at Zamboanga Hospital in the Philippines today.

Last Thursday, Jari was shot by Abu Sayyaf gunmen while fleeing in a gun battle between the cross-border criminals and Filipino soldiers in Sulu.

Jari’s wife, Nadin Junianti Najiri, 25, said the sad news was delivered by her mother-in-law who is now in Zamboanga.

“Yesterday evening, my mother-in-law went to Kota Kinabalu with her son and then to Zamboanga to see my husband and this morning at between 2 am to 3 am, my mother-in-law told me my husband had passed away,” she told Bernama.

Nadin said this was all she could share as there were no latest information on the arrangement to bring her husband’s body back.

“I am still waiting for their call as they are still making arrangement to send the body and I am still at a loss of the news,” she said.

In this regard, Nadin accepted the demise of her husband and wanted to focus on her three children aged between one and seven.

“Before my husband was kidnapped, he reminded me to take care of the children as he wanted me to provide my children with education.

“I did not expect this was my last meeting with him as well as the last message from him,” she said in a choking voice.

Recalling her her husband’s message, Nadin said the matter really saddened her as that her seven-year-old daughter’s appeal to enrol in a school was rejected.

"My five-year-old son is in a kindergarten while the youngest is only one year old,” she said.

Apart from Jari, also abducted on Dec 6 were two Indonesians, Heri Ardiansyah, 19, and Hariadin, 45.

In a gun battle between the military and Abu Sayyaf kidnappers last Thursday, Hariadin was reported dead while Heri was rescued.

- Bernama