| KL REJECTS
LINKING HOSTAGES TO JAILED FILIPINO KUALA LUMPUR -- The release of the remaining eight Malaysian hostages still
held by kidnappers in the southern Philippines should not be linked to an 85-year-old
Filipino in a Malaysian jail, Malaysia's Foreign Minister said yesterday.
Datuk Syed Hamid Albar was
commenting on news reports that the hostage-takers may want Mohamad Aklan released in
exchange for the Malaysian captives.
Aklan, a Muslim, reportedly has
been imprisoned for firearms possession in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. No other details about
him are known.
""I think it is a
separate issue,'' Datuk Syed Hamid said. ""I do not know why there should be a
swap.''
Extremists from the Abu Sayyaf
rebel group fighting for an Islamic state in the southern Philippines seized 21 captives
from the Malaysian diving resort of Sipadan two months ago and are holding them at jungle
hideouts on Jolo island.
This new demand is on top of
other cash and political concessions sought.
On Friday the rebels freed
their first hostage, Malaysian forest ranger Zulkarnain Hashim, 29, in what negotiators
described as a goodwill gesture. Malaysia insists no ransom was paid.
Three Germans, two French
citizens, two Finns, two South Africans, a Lebanese, eight Malaysians and two Filipinos
remain captive.
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