No confirmation yet on fate of Malaysian hostage - IGP

The fate of the sole Malaysian hostage who was held captive by a militant group based in the Philippine is still uncertain.

Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar in his Twitter account today said that the police have yet to ascertain his condition pending confirmation from the authorities in the Southern Philippine.

Pihak berkuasa Pilipina dilapurkan bertempur dgn pencolek di P Jolo, ptg tadi. @PDRMsia belum dapat sahkan nasib Bernard, rakyat Msia.
— Khalid Abu Bakar (@KBAB51) November 17, 2015

@PDRMsia sedang berusha dapatkan pengesahan dari Selatan Filipina. Kita doakan Bernard selamat.
— Khalid Abu Bakar (@KBAB51) November 17, 2015

Several news portal reported that Bernard Then was beheaded by Abu Sayyaf militant group just hours after prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak arrived in Manila for the two-day summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum.

The report also said the group’s Brigadier-General Alan Arrojado as claiming that Then was beheaded at around 4pm at a remote Abu Sayyaf stronghold in Jolo island, in Sulu province.

Then, 39, an engineer, was abducted in May together with restaurant manager, Thien Nyuk Fun, 50, at the Ocean King Seafood Restaurant in Sandakan.

Nyuk Fun was however released after being held captive for 179 days.