Kidnap victim relates ordeal
Published on: Sunday, December 21, 2014
 6.jpg "Kidnap victim relates ordeal")
KOTA KINABALU: Cage fish breeder Chan Sai Chuin has his kidnapping to thank for in helping him lose 20kg following his 178 days in captivity deep in the jungles of Southern Philippines."I like that, I have lost so much weight and I want to maintain this," he said laughingly.Chan, who looked healthy, is now weighing 70kg.
ADVERTISEMENT
He sat contentedly next to his wife, who led a lone crusade to secure her husband's release during the past few months, as he related his experience to reporters for the first time here on Saturday. "I was treated well by the abductors and every mealtime, I would get the first priority. The only time I fell sick was during the first week after I was taken because we moved constantly but it was only fever and flu. They gave me medicine and I was okay after that," he said.The fish farm manager in Kunak, who was going back to his workplace, said the first two weeks were pretty scary for him as the Philippines army closed in on the group and the sound of canons thundered around him."The first two months, I was given a lot of freedom to walk around since I could not escape anyway because we were on an island and I did not know where I was actually.
ADVERTISEMENT
"However, during the last four months, they chained my leg, fearing I might flee. But the chain was quite long," he said.Chan was kidnapped by Filipino gunmen during a raid at the fish farm in Kunak on June 16 and released on Dec 10.
ADVERTISEMENT
He said the kidnappers communicated with him in broken Malay that sometimes was difficult for him to understand. He never got to know their real names though as they had their own fictitious names to hide their real identities."There was a James Bond, a Tom Cruise and other interesting names they call each other. We chatted all the time but they were careful not to reveal anything to me," he said.Another thing that struck Chan was the discipline shown by the group of about a dozen men when it comes to taking orders and as a consequence of that, Chan was not hit even once during the six months he was held hostage.He recounted that he spoke with his wife several times but he never knew that the kidnappers had threatened to behead him if the ransom money was not delivered on time."All the time, the only thing that kept me going and wanting to survive this was the thought of my wife. I am extremely grateful to her for all the troubles she had gone through to secure my freedom," he said.Chan added that he did not know he was going to be released until that night when three men, who identified themselves as Sabahan policemen, came to the hut where he was kept and told him to come with them.The policemen unlocked the chain on his leg with the key and the quartet left the now empty hideout and walked for about an hour before they reached the boat that would take Chan back home.In the meantime, Chan's wife, Chin Pek Nyen, was picked up by policemen who came to their house to be taken to meet her husband in Sandakan."The moment I saw him my heart leapt with joy. He had lost a lot of weight but he is my husband and I recognised him right away," said Chin gleefully.The 42-year-old had even said that she was willing to go to the Philippines to die with her husband as she desperately asked for help from the Government after the kidnappers told her they would behead Chan if the ransom money was not delivered on time.Chan admitted that he would sometimes wake up in the night thinking he was still in the jungles and at the mercy of his captors.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
Daily Express Malaysia
