| SYED
HAMID: 7 M'SIANS NOT FREED YET KUALA LUMPUR, July 20 (Bernama) -- Armed abductors in Jolo in Southern
Philippines still have not released the remaining seven Malaysian hostages, said Foreign
Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar dismissing yesterday's media reports of their
release.
"What we gathered from the latest development there is that none of the remaining
Malaysian hostages have been released," Syed Hamid told a news conference at
Parliament House lobby here Thursday.
The Philippine government, he said, was still negotiating with the armed group for the
release of all the remaining hostages -- the seven Malaysians, two Germans, two French
nationals, two Finns, two South Africans, two Filipinos and a Lebanese woman.
"The moment we know positively that they have been released from Jolo, they (the
Malaysian hostages) will be taken home at the earliest possible time.
"But for the time being there is no information saying they have been released,"
he said.
He said the foreign media reports about the release of the Malaysian hostages were merely
based on speculation.
The armed group,which kidnapped 21 people from Sipadan Island off Sabah last April 23 and
brought them by boat to their hideout in Jolo, had so far released two Malaysians and a
German woman from among the hostages.
Several weeks ago the group also kidnapped a German journalist and three French television
crew members covering the hostage episode alongside 13 Filipino priests.
Syed Hamid said securing the release of the remaining hostages was of uppermost importance
for the good of countries in the region.
"The task is not an easy one but we'll not spare any effort to reach that
objective," he said.
While predicting that the hostage crisis would end soon and that kidnappers were working
towards their release, Syed Hamid denied foreign media reports that Malaysia paid a AS$3
million-(RM11.4 million) ransom to get all the Malaysian hostages freed.
"I can only say that the Malaysian government will not pay any ransom and we are not
involved in any payment of ransom money for the release of all the hostages.
"That's the Malaysian government's stand and it remains so," he added.
Back to Sipadan Hostages News
Back
to This Week's Borneo News |
