WhatsApp message of Sabah ‘kidnapping’ spreads

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah police are investigating the origins of a WhatsApp message, under Section 505(C) of the Penal Code, for “circulating statements causing public mischief”.

The message alleged that seven girls had been kidnapped in Keningau, in the interior, and were released after being held for a RM3.5 million ransom. The message however had a picture of seven elderly women dressed in primary and secondary uniforms and may have been a prank.

“The message is all lies and no incident took place. It is being spread through WhatsApp and is believed to have caused a false alarm among the public,” said Sabah Police Commissioner Jalaluddin Abdul Rahman who dismissed it as a hoax but was taking it seriously for the purpose of pressing charges against the culprit or culprits.

Police became aware of the message on Wednesday after a police officer in Keningau received it.

The message reads:

“18/10/2014 @ 3pm: 4 pelajar sekolah menengah dan 3 murid sekolah yg diculik sejak Isnin lalu dapat diselamatkan drpd penculik slps rundingan panjang antara pihak PDRM Kgau dgn kumpulan kecil penculik berjaya. Kes ini sengaja dirahsiakan utk mengelak spekulasi negatif drpd masyarakat sekitar dan juga utk menjaga ketenteraman awam. Pihak penculik juga menyerahkan kembali 7 pelajar ini tanpa apa2 syarat dan wang tebusan w/pun pada mulanya meminta wang tebusan sebanyak rm500 ribu bagi setiap satu pelajar. Syukur utk semua pelajar yg selamat.”

Translation: “18/10/2014 @ 3 pm: 4 secondary school students and 3 primary school pupils kidnapped last Monday were rescued from their kidnappers soon after negotiations between Keningau police and a small group of kidnappers were successful. This case was deliberately kept secret to avoid negative speculation from the community as well as to maintain public order. The kidnappers also released the 7 students without any conditions and ransom, although initially they had demanded a ransom of RM500,000 for each student. Thankfully, all students are safe.”

Sabah has been hit by a spate of kidnappings along the eastern seaboard in recent months and the people get jittery at any news of any new kidnapping attempts.

Any kidnapping in Keningau would have been a first outside eastern Sabah.
A sea curfew is in place until November 6, covering approximately 121,272 square miles or 194,035 kilometres of coastal stretches and waters in Sandakan, Kinabatangan, Lahad Datu, Semporna, Kunak and Tawau.

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