Kidnappers threaten to behead Sandakan abductee

PUTRAJAYA: A chilling phone call from the kidnappers of the Sandakan abduction victims has made the families fearful for their lives.
Chan Wai See, the wife of Bernard Then Ted Fen, said she received the devastating call last Saturday that her husband faces beheading soon.
This made the desperate families of Thien Nyuk Fun, 51, and Then, 39 to turn to the Home Ministry and today they met Deputy Home Minister Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed.
"I received the call about 5pm last Saturday and was able to talk to Bernard briefly. He sounded very tense and worried and told me that he would be the next one to be beheaded. He also said the other hostage Thien Nyuk Fun was growing weaker," Chan told during a press conference with Nur Jazlan.
She said the phone was then snatched from her husband and the kidnappers said he would be beheaded soon before cutting off the line.
"I couldn't ask anything further. The line went dead."
Chan submitted an appeal letter to Nur Jazlan in hopes the ministry would be able to save the hostages.
Also present was Thien's son, Chung Chin Lung.
Nur Jazlan was sympathetic to the plight that the family had to undergo and promised to follow up on the matter with the respective agencies involved.
"We will do what we can and follow up with the agencies involved in this kidnapping. I hope that the kidnappers will have some compassion and release the two hostages unharmed," Nur Jazlan said.
He added that security has since been tightened up after the kidnapping and there has been no such incident since.
Both victims were snatched from a seafood restaurant belonging to Thien at gunpoint on May 14, and are now believed to be held on the remote southern Filipino island of Jolo by the Abu Sayyaf militants.
Last week the Filipino army launched an offensive against the militants in a bid to rescue 11 hostages, including the two Malaysians, from the hideouts, killing 15 members of the extremist group.
Two Filipino coastguards who were held captive escaped during the gun battle.