M'sia and Philippines work to secure Yang's freedom
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Security officer says fish farm manager's release likely
Malaysian and Philippine security officials have embarked on another round of negotiations, this time to secure the release of fish farm manager Yang Zailin.
Eastern Sabah Security Command (Esscom) director-general Mohamad Mantek said the Chinese national who was abducted from Pulau Baik in Lahad Datu district on May 6 was reported to be safe on the southern Philippines island of Jolo.
He said Malaysian security officials were working with their Philippine counterparts in trying to secure Yang’s freedom.
“The possibility of getting his freedom is good,” Mohamad said after meeting representatives of the Kota Kinabalu Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry here yesterday.
Earlier negotiations between Malaysian and Philippines security officials with gunmen had resulted in the freedom of China tourist Gao Huayun and Filipino hotel worker Marcy Darawan from the Abu Sayyaf stronghold of Jolo island in southern Philippines after 59 days of captivity.
The negotiations began soon after both Gao, 29, and Marcy, 40, were abducted from the Singamata Reef Resort near Semporna by five gunmen on April 2.
The two women were escorted by Malaysian security officials from Jolo to Sandakan on Friday before being taken to Kuala Lumpur the following day.
Gao was reunited with her family in Shanghai yesterday while Marcy was also due to return to the Philippines.
Meanwhile, Mohamad said the kidnap-for-ransom group in the Singamata abduction was different from the one that carried out the raid at Pulau Baik.
He said there were 14 known kidnap-for-ransom groups operating in southern Philippines, of which seven were still active.
Mohamad said Esscom also hoped to set up a forward operations base on a disused Petronas oil platform in waters off Semporna by the year-end. He said the base would significantly boost security forces’ capacity to detect intrusions in Malaysian waters.
