A Malaysian national, Mohd Nazarrudin Saidin, returned home safely today, 378 days after being abducted by a group of armed men in Sulu Island, Philippine, on May 8 last year.

Mohd Nazarrudin, 39, arrived at the KL International Airport from Sandakan, Sabah, this morning accompanied by members of Putera 1Malaysia Club.

Mohd Nazarrudin, from Sungai Buloh, Selangor, was reported to have escaped from his kidnappers with the help from the villagers who provided him with a boat to return to Malaysian waters near Sandakan.

Describing the experience as something unforgettable, Mohd Nazarrudin, who lost almost 10kg, said: "I just want to start over and try to forget the incident."

Mohd Nazarrudin is the father of Amir Hazazi, 16, Nur Amira, 15, Nur Atiqah, 13, Nabil Haikal, 12, Adib Irfan, eight and Nur Athirah, five.

Meanwhile, Putera 1Malaysia Club president Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim said they had been negotiating with the kidnappers to release Mohd Nazarrudin for almost seven months.

"It was a dangerous effort and we didn't think that we could rescue him.

"However, we managed to get cooperation from the villagers and with their connections, we managed to bring Mohd Nazarrudin home without having to pay any ransom," he told reporters in Kuala Lumpur.

Abdul Azeez said the club would also help Nazarrudin to find a job to support his family.

- Bernama