UPDATE: The male kidnapping victim is Bernard Then, 39.
SANDAKAN: A man and a woman were kidnapped by four armed assailants from a famous seafood restaurant here last night.
The manager of Ocean King Restaurant, Chung Yung Tiam, 60, who managed to escape from the kidnappers, said the woman, Thien Nyuk Fun, who was kidnapped is his sister-in-law Nyuk Fun, 50, is also his partner.
The other victim is a man known as Bernard Ghen Ted Fen, 39.
“Four men who were armed and wearing camouflaged army uniform suddenly climbed up the staircase of the restaurant that was built on water, at about 8pm,” he said when met outside the restaurant.
Chung said he, his workers and some of his customers managed to escape from the assailants but later realised that his sister-in-law was not among them.
Bernard and Nyuk Fun were bundled off by the gunmen in the raid lasting less than a minute, Chung said.
“Everything happened so fast. Everyone panicked and started shouting when four men, all dressed in camouflaged attire, suddenly appeared in the restaurant,” he said.
“They wore no mask and there was no shooting,” Chung said, adding that the customer was sitting with his family but could not run away when the gunmen barged into the restaurant. They fled in a boat.
Chung said there were about 100 people in his restaurant at the time, including children.
He said the abductors were not even bothered with money since they left without even taking any from the cash box at the counter.
“I overheard one of the customers saying that at least two more people were seen waiting in the boat. They were saying that that the boat was rather old,” Chung said.
“After lodging a police report, I don’t know what else to do. I guess I have to wait by the phone in case the abductors call for ransom, added Chung.
The restaurant, situated about 3km from Sandakan town, is reputed to be the best seafood restaurant in Sandakan and situated in Pasir Putih along Jalan Bokara.
Security forces have immediately launched a massive operation to track down the kidnappers and victims.
Sandakan is only about an hour’s ride on speed boat from the southern Philippines island Bakungan Besar.
Eastern Sabah Security Command (ESSCom) commander Datuk Abdul Rashid Harun when contacted, said they were at the scene and taking necessary action.
Yesterday’s kidnapping happened after two armed robbery cases were reported in Kinabatangan on April 13 and 17.
The Royal Malaysian Police will cooperate with the ESSCom and the General Operation Force (GOF) to track down the suspects who were involved in the two armed robbery cases.
On April 13 plantation manager Yuen Wing Wah, 50, was killed while the owner, Danny Wong, in his 30s, sustained gunshot wound on the chest after they were robbed by two employees who fled with RM18,000 workers’ salary at Mile 4, Sukau in Kinabatangan.
Four days later, a 50-year-old sundry shop owner was robbed and shot by one of the four robbers who had earlier asked for a ride.
Meanwhile, Sabah police commissioner Datuk Jalaluddin Abdul Rahman when contacted via WhatsApp, said police were still waiting for the report of the kindapping.
Jalaluddin said the male customer who was kidnapped worked worked as an electrical consultant in Cambodia.
Sabah’s eastern coast has seen several kidnappings in recent years.
Constable Zakiah Aleip, 26, was kidnapped from Mabul Water Bungalows Resort in Semporna on July 12, 2014 by eight Filipino gunmen while his colleague, Corporal Abdul Rajah Jamuan, 32, was shot dead by gunmen in that incident.
It was reported that the kidnappers, believed to be Abu Sayyaf terrorists, had demanded up to RM5 million for Zakiah’s release.
In another case, fish farm operator Chan Sai Chuin, 32, was abducted by Abu Sayyaf militants from Sabah’s east coast on June 16 last year.
Chan and a Filipino worker identified only as Maslan, were abducted by two armed men at 12.40am from the fish farm they operated in Kampung Air Sapang.
Claims have surfaced from Philippines military intelligence and Jolo sources that about RM780,000 in ransom was paid to secure his release on December 9, but Chan said he was told there was none.
Another fish farm manager, Yang Zai Lin, was kidnapped by armed men in Pulau Baik, near Lahad Datu, Sabah, in May 2014.
Yang was rescued and returned to China after the ordeal.
Last year, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak announced a move to restructure the ESSCom which received flak for its failure to protect Sabah from intruders.
ESSCom manages a security area or the Eastern Sabah Security Zone (ESSZone) which covers 1,400km of the east coast of Sabah, from Kudat to Tawau.
The ESSZone was established in March 2013 following the Lahad Datu incursion by armed Sulu militants in February that year.