KOTA KINABALU: Police have yet to positively identify the armed group that kidnapped Taiwanese tourist Chang An Wei and murdered her husband Hsu Lim Min at a resort at Pom Pom Island off Semporna.
Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Hamza Taib, when contacted yesterday, said investigation was still ongoing to identify the kidnappers in the November 15 incident.
“At the moment, we still do not know the identity of the kidnappers, unless we have positive identification, then we are certain who they are.
“But the police believe the kidnappers are sea pirates,” he said in response to an allegation that the kidnappers of Chang are the same group of people who abducted a West Malaysian businessman two years ago.
On May 8, 2011, a group of 10 gunmen abducted Mohd Nazaruddin Saidin, a gecko lizard entrepreneur, while he was in the Philippines for a business meeting. He was released by the gunmen a year later.
Meanwhile, Hamza said the Royal Malaysian Police were doing their best to locate Chang, who had been abducted for more than a week since the incident happened.
“We are doing our best to find her. Police are also working very closely with our Philippine counterparts and the Taiwanese government.
“What’s important right now is the safety of the woman. Police cannot reveal too much information that could jeopardize our investigation and her safety,” he said.
On Nov 15, a group of gunmen opened fire and killed a Taiwanese tourist and abducted a woman at a resort in Pom Pom Island in Semporna.
The body of 57-year-old Hsu Lim Min was found with two gunshot wounds, one on his chest and another on his ribs, along the corridor of the water village around 1am.
Chang, who was accompanying Lim, was missing and believed to have been abducted by the gunmen following the incident.
The remains of Lim Min were cremated at the Foo Kui Memorial Park crematorium, Sin On Tiku, Tawau on Thursday, Nov 21.
Lim Min’s family members to his ashes back to his country.