Abducted resort manager speaks too soon of
Pandanan's safety
KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 12 (Bernama)
-- It was an unfortunate case of speaking too soon for Mohamad Noh Sulaiman, the
43-year-old resort manager who gunmen abducted together with two others from Pandanan
Island off Sabah on Sunday night.
When journalists interviewed him on Pandanan in the wake of last April's kidnapping of 21
people from Sipadan Island, Mohamad Noh expressed full conviction that undesireable
elements would not target Pandanan, about 20 nautical miles from Sipadan.
"They'll not take us. After all we have nothing here. Moreover this place is safe for
visitors," he told broadcast journalist Alan Ting during the April interview.
Pandanan's proximity to Mataking Island, where there is a marine police base, reinforced
Mohamad Noh's conviction that the resort he manages on Pandanan would be spared from the
misfortune that befell Sipadan, said Ting today recalling his interview with Mohamad Noh.
After all,the arrangement had been that Pandanan islanders and visitors could just flash
light signals to the security authorities on Mataking in case of any eventualities,
Mohamad Noh had told Ting.
Penang-born Mohamed Noh spoke with pride about Pandanan being a heaven for scuba divers
who even referred a spot there as a "Chinatown" because of the unique colours
emanating from the various fish species and marine life.
Pandanan, except from being an occassional stop-over for foreign fishermen, is virtually a
rendezvous for select group of foreign tourists.
"At times Filipino fishermen do come by.
But they've never bothered us and merely asked for food and drinks before moving on,"
said Mohamed Noh, also known as "George", according to Ting.
The two other Malaysians missing with Mohamed Noh since Sunday night are dive-master
Joseph Onkinoh,40 and contractor Kan Wei Chong, 35.
Their abduction was the second on resort islands off Sabah in five months after Muslim
separatists from southern Phillippines took 21 people hostage and held them in Jolo.
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