Abu Sayyaf gunmen threaten to kill fish breeder

KOTA KINABALU: The wife of abducted fish breeder Chan Sai Chuin fears that his life is now in real danger.

Abu Sayyaf gunmen holding the 32-year-old at an undisclosed location in Jolo island are getting impatient and are demanding that ransom be paid immediately for his release or he might die.

The gunmen told his wife Chin Pek Nyen, 42, (pic) that enough time had been given for her to raise the RM3mil ransom and that any further delay would put her husband in danger.

“They told me my husband is sick and is dying.

“I don’t know if they are telling me the truth but I’m very scared,” said Chin, adding that the gunmen had allowed her husband to make fewer calls to her.

“It’s like putting a bet on my husband’s life,” she said, adding that she was now considering getting public assistance to raise the money to pay for her husband’s release.

“I have only been able to borrow about RM100,000 from friends and relatives so far. I can’t get any more,” Chin said when contacted.

However, Chin hoped that the Malaysian and Philippines governments would help in securing the release of her husband.

Chan was abducted by a group of Abu Sayyaf-linked gunmen from a fish farm in Kunak on June 16.

Marine policeman Kon Zakiah Aleip, 26, was taken about a month later from the Water Bungalows in Semporna.

It is learnt that the gunmen holding Kons Zakiah are demanding up to RM5mil for his release.

Negotiations through mediators have stalled due to the high ransom demands.

Last week, the Abu Sayyaf posted online a threat to kill one of two German hostages in their custody if two demands were not met by Oct 10.

The Abu Sayyaf had demanded a ransom of 250mil pesos (RM18mil) for Stefan Vicktor Okonek, 71, and his partner Herike Diesen, 55, who were reported missing while sailing their yacht from Palawan island to Sabah on April 25.

The terror group also demanded that Germany stopped supporting the current United States-led bombings in Iraq and Syria.