Two more kidnapped in Sabah

KUNAK: Despite increased survelliance by Malaysian security forces another kidnapping has taken place within Sabah waters.
A 32-year-old fish farm owner and his Filipino worker were taken away by heavily armed gunmen here today, in a third such kidnapping in as many months.
Chan Sai Chiun, 32, and his worker identified only as Mazlan were abducted from the fish farm at Kampung Air Sepang at about 1am.
As in the other two earlier cases, the gunmen, believed to have links to the Abu Sayyaf militants, took off with their victims to their stronghold at an unknown island off south Philippines.
Sabah police CID chief SAC Omar Mamah said the kidnappers are believed to have evaded detection by Malaysian patrols by slowly rowing their boat along the coast towards the fish farm.
He said police learnt that two armed men forced the victims onto a speed boat where at least two other accomplices were waiting.
"We believe they have fled to south Philippines. There is yet to be any call from the kidnappers and efforts to trace the victims are underway. We also believe this abduction was the work of the same group behind the two earlier cases." he told theSun.
On April 2, Chinese tourist Gao Hua Yuan, 29, and 40-year-old Filipina resort worker Marcy Dayawan were kidnapped at the Singamata Adventures and Reef Resort off Semporna and held captive for almost two months before they were freed on May 30 following negotiations between the authorities and abductors.
The gunmen struck again on May 6, when a 34-year-old Chinese fish farm manager Yang Zai Lin was kidnapped at his workplace in Lahad Datu in the wee hours.
Yang is yet to be freed.
Meanwhile, Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the Eastern Sabah Security Command (ESSCom) should improve its intelligence networking.
"We should not depend on just upgrading assets but also strengthen our network with the Philippines," he said.
"Using conventional methods (of preventing crime) is not enough, it has to be done with information networking," he told reporters after receiving a courtesy call from US Ambassador to Malaysia Joseph Y. Yun here today.
He said the navy and police will work together in dealing with this case.