Then, 39, an enginner, was beheaded after six months in captivity by the Abu Sayyaf on Jolo Island in southern Philippines despite hopes that he would be freed soon.
Malaysian negotiators with the help of Filipino emissaries had been working round the clock to secure the release of Then and Ocean King seafood restaurant manager Thien Nyuk Fun, 50, since their kidnapping from Sandakan on May 15.
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