In a report by The Borneo Post, Wong Chee Ming, the father of the kidnapped brothers Teck Kang and Teck Chii, confirmed this, but refused to divulge more details.

He, however, stressed that the families were cooperating fully with the police to secure the release of the four.

“We are leaving the safety of our kidnapped family members to the police. We have let them wholly take charge. We are cooperating, and we are waiting anxiously,” the daily quoted Chee Ming as saying.

Last month, the quartet, who are crewmen on a Malaysian cargo ship, were kidnapped in a raid by armed Filipino gunmen off Pulau Ligitan in eastern Sabah.

Apart from Wong Teck Kang and Wong Teck Chii, the remaining two victims are Wong Hung Sing and Lau Jung Hien.

Meanwhile, Chee Ming said the ransom money they had raised remained untouched, although he did not disclose the amount.

He revealed that the families will seek approval from the police if they wanted to use the money.

“I want to assure the public that their donations are untouched and under the watchful eyes of the police. We cannot touch it now. We have to deal with this delicate situation carefully and in accordance with the police’s advice to ensure the safety of the four.”