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		The Malaysian Inspector-General OF Police Would Have To Show The Paragon Of Professionalism To Get Us Out Of The Sipadan Hostages Imbroglio Satement by Dr Tan Seng Giaw, DAP National Vice-Chairman and MP for Kepong on the hunger and sickness of the 21 hostages in Jolo Island, southern Philipppines. 3 May 2000
		Eleven day after 21 hostages have been seized from Sipadan, Sabah, Malaysia, there are more threats of killing some hostages held in Jolo Island, southern Philippines, the country's army closing in on the Abu Sayyaf rebel army stronghold and television showing of exhaustion, hunger and sickness among these hostages. Less than 100 Km northeast of Jolo, the armed forces were searching in vain a tunnel on Basilan Island for another 27 hostages captured by a different group of Abu Sayyaf over a month ago. The rebels took these hostages and escaped. The rebels allowed several journalists and a doctor to visit the Sipadan hostages. Consuls from the French, German and Finnish embassies sent boxes of medicine, clothes and food to the hostages on 1 May 2000. Philippine President Joseph Estrada is determined to eradicte terrorists, refusing to have ambassadors from captives' countries taking part in the negotiations which will take time. He has sworn to do anything possible to get a safe release for the hostages. Since yesterday, the Malaysian Government has sent, among others, the Inspector-General of Police, IGP, Tan Sri Norian Mai, to deal with the imbroglio in the Philippines. The Deputy Prime Minister Dato' Seri				Abdullah Ahmad Badawi did mention the former's ability to help solve the impasse. The IGP has met his Philippine counterpart on the hostage crisis. Let us hope that Abu Sayyaf accepts open negotiations. Taking away the hostages from Sipadan is a slap on Malaysia, showing that the rebels will do anything to get what they want. They mulcted the Malaysian authorities. The previous IGP showed a lack of professionalism under pressure by beating up a famous detainee. We hope that Tan Sri Norian Mai demonstrates a paragon of professionalism in dealing with the imbroglio. It is in the nature of hostage-taking by a rebel army that the roads ahead are tortuous and anything can go wrong. We need true professionals. Dato' Seri Abdullah denied that the security cooperation between Malaysia and the Philippines was no good. He believed that with the will from all sides, the negotiations for the release of the hostages would bring results. Mass kidnappings can occur in any part of the world. Retrospectively, had the cooperation between Malaysia and the Philippines been that good, the Sipadan abduction would not have happened. Anyway, we hope that this cooperation has improved sufficiently for the solution of the crisis. Dr Tan Seng Giaw



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