Deputy prime minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the government does not recognise kidnap-for-ransom activities and would not use funds for such purposes. — Picture by Saw Siow Feng

PUTRAJAYA, June 16 — The RM12 million raised to ransom four Sarawakian hostages was paid to Filipino welfare groups and not the militants who abducted them, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi today.

As news emerges of another possible abduction in Sabah today, Ahmad Zahid said the government does not recognise kidnap-for-ransom activities and would not use funds for such purposes.

“The government had decided that no ransom would be paid, and the police adhered to that,” he told reporters here at the Home Ministry offices.

“The RM12 million given to the PDRM Special Branch was collected from the public as well as the (the family’s) selling of assets, and I can confirm that the money was channelled not as ransom money, but to certain bodies in the Philippines,” he added.

He said he could not reveal the Filipino agencies that received the money as this was a police matter, but said he will direct the Royal Malaysia Police to issue a statement to inform the public about the move.

The deputy prime minister also insisted that the RM12 million was “definitely not” kept by the police.

“They (the Filipino recipients) are all legal agencies, some dealing with welfare and various other legal activities,” he explained.

An uncle to one of the freed hostages revealed yesterday that RM12 million was raised to ransom the four men, and given to the police on May 24.

Brothers Wong Teck Kang, 31, and Teck Chii, 29, their cousin Lau Jung Hien and Wong Hung Sing, 34, were kidnapped from a commercial barge, MV Massive 6, in the waters off Pulau Ligitan on April 1 while returning to Tawau, Sabah after sending a cargo of wood to Manila.

On the morning of June 8, they were taken to a boat and travelled to Sabah before reaching a jetty in Sandakan at 6am when the seven armed men who could speak Malay and English, told them they need not worry as they were safe now.

After freeing the four, the armed men left Sabah waters.

News of their release had raised questions regarding the donations collected, but authorities denied paying any ransom to free the four.