According to a source, a Philippines-registered call was made to the shipping firm by one of those taken hostage, Tayudin Anjut, 45, who was the Serudong 3 engineer and Serudong 4 skipper.
In the brief call, Tayudin revealed that he and four other crew are safe and now in Basilan, southern Philippines.
The call was disconnected shortly after the employer asked how they were and what was demanded from the kidnappers, believed to be Abu Sayyaf.
Tayudin was among five crew on the Serudong 3 tugboat, pulling a barge, Serudong 4, which left Sandakan for Semporna on July 17.
The other four are Abd Rahim Summas, 62, Fandy Bakran, 26, Mohd Jumadil Rahim, 23, all from Tawau, and Mohd Ridzuan Ismail, 32, from Jengka, Pahang.
They were scheduled to reach Semporna at 5pm on Monday but supposedly kidnapped in waters off Dent Heaven near Tambisan, Lahad Datu on Sunday, while on the way back to Semporna after sending stones to Sandakan.
Tayudin's wife, Gustiah Sultan, 46, from Sandakan, said the last time she met him was when she and their two children sent him to Semporna on July 11 after a week's Raya holiday in Sandakan.
"The last time we spoke over the phone was on Saturday, he told me that he will be back on Monday … he was supposed to return home in Kg Tanjung Batu Darat on Tuesday (July 19) because they sailed off from Sandakan to Semporna on Saturday.
"But he never told me that they sailed off much earlier," she said, adding she received the sad news from a neighbour who also worked in the same shipping company.
"I was shocked and felt like I was about to faint the moment I received the news, I called my husband's handphone twice, but there was no answer, the phone could not be reached on my third call.
"I am thankful for my family from near and far, as well as neighbours and friends who are here to lend support, my husband's employers are also very concerned.
"I now make a daily trip from our house in Tanjung Batu Darat to my cousin's house in Tanjung Batu Ortentik because all the information is conveyed there.
"I have been sleeping at my cousins' house for two nights now…but it is hard to sleep, I will doze off for one or two hours before waking up again.
"I am grateful that our eldest child, Nur Erin Farisha,12, understands the situation. However, my younger child, Muhd Fahrin, 5, would always ask where their father was whenever the photo of their father's boat is shown on television or Facebook," she said.
She said all she could say was that their father has gone to work with friends.
Gustiah who married Tayudin in 2003 hoped her husband and his friends would be released safely because the family depended on them as bread winners.
She prays every night for the safety of her husband and his friends, and has high hopes on the authorities to rescue them.
She hoped her husband would continue to have good luck because he had been in two challenging situations, first when the ship he was in capsized at Sungai Sibuku several years ago and the second when the ship they were on was hit by another in waters off Semporna, earlier this year.
Meanwhile, Nur Erin who studies at SK Tanjung Batu Darat and is sitting for the Ujian Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR) trial exam, could only cry when she heard the news from her mother on Monday.
"My father always reminded me to study hard, to succeed and be teacher one day, and his reminder gave me the courage and strength to do my best while I sat for the Bahasa Malaysia and Maths trial exam. - DE
No comments:
Post a Comment