Thien at her mother's house in Sandakan hours after being freed by Abu Sayyaf
MANCHESTER: No ransom was paid to secure the release of Jolo kidnap victim Thien Nyuk Fun, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said.
She was released following negotiations between the Malaysian authorities and her captors, he added.
Ahmad Zahid, also Home Minister, said the close collaboration between the Malaysian and Philippine authorities led to her release.
"The kidnap of one victim is settled, but we have another victim who has not been released. Negotiations will continue to be carried out to secure his release.
"We believe if the captors are generous to not impose strict conditions, then the other victim will be released soon," he said when asked to comment on Thien's release by her captors last Monday.
Ahmad Zahid, who is on a four-day visit to the United Kingdom (UK), was met at a dinner with the Malaysian diaspora here. Almost 200 Malaysian students in the UK attended the dinner.
Thien, 50, the manager of Ocean King Restaurant in Sandakan, was among two people kidnapped at the eatery last May. The other, a customer at the restaurant, Bernard Then Ted Fen, 39, from Sarawak, has yet to be released.
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