MARITIME kidnappings and hijackings in waters off Sabah’s east coast continued to raise concern during the past year.
However, there was a positive development last November, when Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte met Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak in Putrajaya.
The Philippines government has granted permission for Malaysian law enforcement vessels in pursuit of kidnappers to enter Philippine waters.
According to reports, this meant Malaysian vessels could continue their pursuit of kidnappers who cross into Philippine waters. Malaysian enforcement units will have to inform Philippine authorities when in pursuit of suspects in Philippine waters.
It was reported on Nov 10 that this year alone, 10 Malaysians have been kidnapped for ransom and from the total, five are still being held.
Earlier this year, four Sarawakian sailors kidnapped off Pulau Ligitan in Sabah on April 1 were released by their Abu Sayyaf captors.
Reports indicated that the four were released following talks involving Malaysian and Filipino negotiators.
Brothers Wong Teck Kang, 31, and Wong Teck Chii, 29, their cousin, Johnny Lau Jung Hien, 21, and another man, Wong Hung Sing, 34, were the crew on a tugboat returning to Sarawak from the Philippines during the incident.
Other cases included:
April 2: Eight armed men raided the MV Masfive 6, a Malaysian tugboat, off the eastern coast of Sabah after the crew unloaded timber in Manila. On April 4, it was confirmed that the crew was safe and unharmed.
April 15: Four Indonesian sailors were kidnapped by armed men who tried to hijack a tugboat and a barge between Malaysian and Philippine waterways. A fifth sailor was shot but was rescued and survived.
June 6: A tugboat, Ever Prosper, and a barge, Ever Dignity, were attacked by armed pirates off Mukah, Sarawak. The incident was reported to the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency. The 10 crew members were saved, although one suffered an injury to his eye.
Aug 8: Four unidentified gunmen kidnapped an Indonesian captain northeast of Sabah after failing to get the RM10,000 ransom they had demanded. The gunmen released two other crew members, a Malaysian and an Indonesian.
Oct 18: A trawler, the Ever Ocean Silk, and a barge, the Ever Giant, were hijacked about 62 nautical miles off Bintulu port on their way from Tawau, Sabah to Port Klang. All 10 of the crew members were rescued. The number of robbers was not determined, but they were in two boats.
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