Bernard's fate cannot be ascertained yet - IGP

He said the Malaysian Royal Police was still making efforts to get confirmation from the Southern Philippines authorities.

He said this in his Twitter posting following a news report by a foreign media that Then an electrical engineer, was killed by his captors.

"The Philippine authorities was reported to have clashed with the kidnappers in Jolo Island, this afternoon. @PDRMsia has yet to confirm Bernard's fate," wrote Khalid on his Twitter account.

Khalid said: "@PDRMsia is trying to get confirmation from the Southern Philippines. We pray for Bernard's safety."

The Singapore Straits Times on its online news at www.straitstimes.com reported that "Brigadier-General Alan Arrojado, commander of the Joint Task Group Sulu said Bernard Then was beheaded at around 4pm at a remote Abu Sayyaf stronghold in Jolo island in Sulu province, some 1,400km south of the capital Manila.

On May 14, a woman Thien Nyuk Fun, 50, and Bernard Then Ted Fen, 39, were kidnapped by four armed men who stormed the Ocean King Restaurant in Sandakan at 7.45pm.

On Nov 8, Thien, the restaurant manager, was released by the abductors following negotiation the Malaysian authorities and her captors.

Meanwhile, Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Jalaluddin Abdul Rahman said that he had not received any confirmation on the report that Bernard was killed in the Southern Philippines.