IGP: Fundraising campaign messed up hostage release efforts

PUTRAJAYA, June 17 — A political party’s fundraising campaign had complicated efforts to secure the release of four Sarawakians held hostage by Abu Sayyaf militants, national police chief Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar claimed today.

The Inspector-General of Police (IGP) said the party’s open announcement about its collection during the Sarawak state elections emboldened the militants to make stronger demands, since the group knew how much money the campaign had raised.

“This political party went and announced how much they have collected. Of course this made the other side excited,” Khalid told reporters here.

“What they did only complicated our efforts...it gave them stronger demand power,” he added, without naming the political party.

A Sin Chew Daily April 25 report said the families of the four hostages had appeared at the campaign rallies of SUPP, DAP and State Reform Party (STAR) election candidates, kneeling on the stage and pleading for public donations.

STAR’s Bukit Assek candidate Moh Hiong King reportedly raised RM1,930.50, while DAP reportedly said all proceeds raised that evening would be donated and SUPP candidate Chieng Buong Toon reportedly said the Barisan Nasional (BN) component party’s Bukit Assek division would donate RM10,000.

Khalid said today he had previously cautioned that any open discussions about the kidnappings could hamper efforts to secure their release.

“That is why when I said don’t talk about how much money was raised because they would take advantage of it.

“I am sure they know how much money they expect to receive,” he said.

But the IGP also said that while he was not certain if the police could have negotiated the four men’s freedom without the ransom money, he stressed that they have the experience to deal with such situations.

“We have done this before,” he said.

An uncle to one of the freed hostages revealed on Wednesday that RM12 million was raised to ransom the four men, and given to the police on May 24.

Brothers Wong Teck Kang, 31, and Teck Chii, 29, their cousin Lau Jung Hien and unrelated friend Wong Hung Sing, 34, were kidnapped from a commercial barge, MV Massive 6, in the waters off Pulau Ligitan on April 1 while returning to Tawau, Sabah after sending a cargo of wood to Manila.

Khalid had denied that the police had received the RM12 million ransom raised to secure the freedom of the four Sarawakians abducted by Abu Sayyaf militants, as claimed by the uncle of one of the hostages.

The IGP claimed that the money was instead handed directly to an unknown “third party” that helped to negotiate the release of the hostages, directly contradicting Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s statement yesterday that the RM12 million had been given to the Special Branch.

-themalaymailonline.com