Abu Sayyaf Group and Violence in Sabah 2000-2023
Although the Abu Sayyaf group has faded into history, in the over twenty years they were active, they seem to pop up and then die out only to reemerge into another act of terror. This two-part series gives a chronology of their activities as well as an explanation of their organisation. Enjoy!
Part One
The Abu Sayaaf Group (ASG) has consistently been identified as the primary perpetrator of Kidnap for Ransom (KFR) Their targets frequently include commercial vessels, fishing boats, and foreign tourists.
The Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) is an Islamic separatist organisation that emerged as a splinter group of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF). It was founded in 1991 by Abdurajak Abubakar Janjalani, a prominent figure whose radical ideology was shaped by his experiences in Afghanistan during the 1980s Afghan war.
Janjalani, having received an education in Afghanistan, was deeply influenced by the Muslim fighters he encountered during the war, which reinforced his political and religious views on radical Islam.
Motivated by these experiences, he returned to the Philippines in 1989 and formed a group of revolutionary fighters in the southern Philippines province of Basilan, initially known as the Muhajideen Commando Freedom Fighters (MCFF).
Although initially, the ASG advocated for an independent state in the southern Philippines, it quickly gained notoriety in the late 1990s due to its involvement in high-profile bombings, kidnappings and assassinations.
The Abdu Sayyaf Organisation
Under the umbrella of the Abdu Sayyaf organisation were several subgroups. Each subgroup is assigned a different task and acts independently.
The smaller sub-groups are primarily responsible for carrying out kidnappings, while the more dominant groups negotiate ransom. The smaller subgroup kidnaps the people and then hands them over to a larger subgroup which negotiates the ransom. The ransom payments are then partially distributed to the kidnappers.
Other subgroups generate income from such activities as guns and ammunition, drug smuggling and the distribution of counterfeit goods. However, many of these groups have been disbanded or eliminated by the Malaysian or Philippine Police.
In terms of boats and other equipment, the KFR people drive a “pump boat” which is a small boat powered by engines designed for water pumps on larger boats. The pump boats are easy to acquire and maintain. They can also operate at high speeds through shallow waters such as peat swamps and water villages. This makes them difficult to capture by the authorities.
KFR groups are also equipped with various types of weaponry including M14, M16 rifles, revolvers grenade launchers, explosive materials, and samurai swords. Their access to firearms and explosive devices is largely influenced by connections to war zones in the southern Philippines.
Initially, both the Philippine government and the media dismissed the ASG as merely a criminal or bandit group. However, following a series of bombings in 2004 and 2005, the ASG was officially declared a terrorist organisation. Today, the ASG is regarded as the most dangerous militant group in Southeast Asia.
Between 2000 and 2023, a total of 28 KFR incidents occurred along the east coast of Sabah. The first recorded incident of KFR in Sabah occurred on April 1, 2000. Over this period, ASG membership expanded with various small criminal groups aligning themselves to share in the ransom proceeds.
From 2000 until 2013, major KFR operations in Sabah were carried out by key ASG leaders, including Ghalib Andang (@ Commander Robot), Radulon Sahiron (@ Commander Putol), Isnilon Hapilon, Puruji Indama, Hatib Hajad Sawadjaan and Alhasbi Misaya.
However, since 2014, KFR attacks have been predominantly carried out by small groups operating under ASG’s influence, such as the Muktadil Brothers Group, the Anjang-Anjang Group, and the Gumbahali Group. Many members of these groups have since been killed by Malaysian or Philippine security forces.
The first demand called for the Philippine Government to grant independence to the southern Philippines to establish an Islamic state.
The second demand was a ransom of US$1 million per hostage. Additionally, the kidnappers sought the release of two al-Qaeda-linked terrorists: Ramzi Yousef and Sheikh Omar Abdel Rahman. Ramzi Yousef was the mastermind behind the 1993 World Trade Centre bombing in New York, while Sheikh Omar Abdel Rahman was a key suspect in multiple planned attacks on New York landmarks. After extensive negotiations by the Malaysian government, all hostages were eventually freed. Reports suggest that approximately RM57 million was paid as ransom for the release of 20 victims.
Chronology
On April 23, 2000, at a resort in Semporna, it drew widespread attention from both Malaysia and the international community. Six people abducted 21 individuals, including 11 foreign nationals, and later transported them to the southern Philippines. The ASG, claiming responsibility for the attack, issued several demands directed at Malaysia, the Philippines, and the United States.
On September 11, 2000, a kidnapping took place on Pandanan Island, Semporna. In this incident, three Malaysians—George Solomon, Joe Joseph Jongkinoh, and Kan Wei Chong—were abducted. This second kidnapping was believed to have stemmed from the internal feuds among ASG members over the distribution of ransom money from the previous abduction.
On October 5, 2003, another kidnapping incident occurred at the Borneo Paradise Eco Resort, located approximately 42km from Lahad Datu district In that incident, a group of 10 armed kidnappers took six civilians, hostage and demanded RM3 million as ransom for their release.
However, the Malaysian government changed its approach by refusing to comply with the ransom demand. Instead, the Malaysian authorities initiated negotiations through a third-party mediator. During the negotiations, a businessman intervened and secured the hostages’ release by paying a reduced ransom of RM200,000 to the kidnappers’ representatives.
Six months later, in April 2004, another KFR incident occurred, involving the abduction of three civilians—two Malaysians and an Indonesian. The victims were crew members of the East Ocean tugboat, owned by San Lim San Shipping Sdn. Bhd., and were on their way from Miri, Sarawak to the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea, when they were attacked. The assailants looted valuable boat equipment, destroyed the vessel’s communication systems, and took the three crew members hostage. Fortunately, other crew members on the boat managed to escape by hiding under the boat’s deck.
The Governor of Tawi-Tawi, Sadikul A. Sahali, announced that the three victims kidnapped at Taganak Island were most likely being held on Sulu Island. However, no further updates regarding their whereabouts emerged. In January 2005, the Malaysian Armed Forces confirmed that the three abducted victims were believed to have been killed while in ASG custody.
Nearly a year after the incident, in March 2005, three Indonesians were kidnapped at Mataking Island, Semporna. They were later released following successful negotiations between the kidnappers and the Indonesian government. Strengthened border surveillance through close collaboration with neighbouring countries, such as the Philippines, significantly reinforced security in the Sulu-Celebes Sea. As a result of these heightened security measures along Sabah’s east coast, no kidnapping incidents were recorded from 2006 to 2009.
However, on February 8, 2010, another kidnapping incident occurred at a seaweed farm on Sebangkat Island in Semporna. The victims, two Malaysian nationals—Lai Wing Chau and Tsen Vui Chung— were abducted by five armed men and taken to the southern Philippines. The kidnappers demanded a ransom of approximately RM2 million. The victims were held hostage for over 10 months before being released on Tawi-Tawi Island in the southern Philippines.
Following this incident, no cases of KFR were reported in Sabah’s waters throughout 2011.
In both 2012 and 2013, one kidnapping case was reported each year. The 2012 KFR incident, which took place on November 14, involved two Malaysians. One of the victims, named Wee Wei, died after being held hostage for nine months, while the other victim managed to escape and return home to Lahad Datu.
The following year, on November 15, 2013, a Taiwanese tourist was kidnapped from Pom-Pom Resort, Semporna. During the incident, a group of eight kidnappers killed Hsu Li Min and abducted Chang An Wei.
Although the Malaysian government declared that no ransom was demanded, the Taiwanese government claimed otherwise and reportedly paid RM80,000. On December 20, 2013, the victim was freed and later rescued by Philippine authorities.
In 2014, four kidnapping incidents were reported in Sabah. The first occurred at Singamata Resort, Semporna on April 2, 2014, involving two female victims—Gao Huayun from China and Marcy Dayawan from the Philippines. The second incident took place at a fish breeding farm in Lahad Datu on May 7, 2014, where a Chinese national, known as Yang Zailin, who worked as the farm manager, was abducted. Following these events, two more kidnappings took place in Sabah’s waters in June and July 2014. On June 16, 2014, a victim named Chan Sai Chiun was kidnapped by a KFR group.
The fourth incident that year in 2014 shocked the nation when kidnappers not only abducted but also killed a member of the security forces. On July 12, 2014, a security personnel, named Corporal Ab Rajah Jamuan was fatally shot, while another officer, Constable Zakiah Aleip, was kidnapped while on duty at Mabul Water Resort, Semporna.
Part Two Next Time
An email was sent to the contact, Hafiza Nur Adeen Nor Ahmad, for the below article requesting permission to quote parts of the essay. No reply was received after several days.
From
Ramli Dollah, Marja Azlima Omar, Hafiza Nur Adeen Nor Ahmad, Adi Jafar, & Dino, N. (2025). The Abu Sayyaf group and kidnapping for ransom in Sabah, Malaysia, 2000–2023. Journal of International Studies, 21(1), 137-155. https://doi.org/10.32890/jis2025.21.1.
Tom McLaughlin for BorneoHistory.net