KOTA KINABALU – Police are verifying the authenticity of a purported call demanding for millions of Ringgit for the release of two Malaysians kidnapped from a restaurant in Sandakan.
Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Jalaluddin Abdul Rahman said they are evaluating claims made in a media report.
“I will only comment after that,’’ he told the Star on Saturday.
Utusan Malaysia reported security forces as saying that they had received a call from the kidnappers demanding a large ransom late Friday although the amount was not disclosed.
The security official was quoted as saying that they would not bow down to such demands although they would negotiate for the safe release of the restaurant manager Thien Nyuk Fun, 50, and a Sarawakian tourist Bernard Thien Ted Fen.
The duo were kidnapped by at least four gunmen from the seaside Ocean King Seafood Restaurant in Sandakan on Thursday.
Based on previous kidnappings, unknown groups make calls demanding exorbitant ransoms of up to RM80mil before lowering them to between RM1mil to RM3mil for their release.
Currently, the whereabouts of the gunmen and the two hostages are still unknown although security sources in Philippines believe that the group had slipped out of Malaysia by late Thursday.
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