KUALA LUMPUR, April 14 ― One of the four Malaysians abducted in Sabah waters by foreign gunmen recently has telephoned his father to inform that he and the others were safe, the Borneo Post reported.

According to the mother of another abductee, Wong Teck Kang made the call on Tuesday night.

She said that Wong had told his father, Wong Chee Ming, that the four of them were safe, but did not know their whereabouts.

In the report, the mother made no mention on whether any ransom demand was made.

“We shall leave the matter to the police and the Malaysian government to work with the authorities in the Philippines to protect the four and bring them home safely.

“We can only pray and hope now,” she was quoted as saying after claiming that she received the news from Chee Ming, who is her neighbour in Pulau Li Hua.

Other two abducted in the April 2 incident were the woman’s son, Johny Lau; Wong's brother, Teck Chii, and Wong Hung Sing. The seamen were reportedly on a tug boat heading to Tawau from Manila with five others.

News reports said the armed militants only abducted the Malaysians and allowed the remaining Myanmar and Indonesian nationals to continue their journey back to Tawau.

According to the portal, Sabah police commissioner Datuk Abdul Rashid Harun refused to elaborate on the matter.

“When the time is right, I will personally call for a press conference. Until then, let us do our job. We have to remember that four lives are at stake here,” he was quoted as saying.