A group of gunmen shot dead a Taiwanese tourist and kidnapped his wife on the resort island of Pom Pom near Semporna early today.

The 57-year-old man was found dead in a pool of blood with gunshot wounds in a room at a resort on the island, said Sabah police commissioner Hamza Taib.

He said a security guard, who heard gunshots at about 1am, alerted the General Operations Force which was stationed about 800 metres from the scene. 

The gunmen took the tourist’s 58-year-old wife to the Semporna waters, he told a news conference in Kota Kinabalu today.

“We believe the woman is still alive,” he said, adding the police had already notified the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Malaysia on the incident.

Hamza said based on bullet shells found at the scene, the police believe the gunmen were using heavy weapons.

Urging those with information to contact the police, he said the incident had nothing to do with the Lahad Datu armed incursion and the motive of the attack was being investigated.

NONEIn JOHOR BARU, inspector-general of police Khalid Abu Bakar (right) said the police were on the trail of the suspects.

In LAHAD DATU, Eastern Sabah Security Command (Esscom) director-general Mohammad Mentek said security situation in the east coast of Sabah was under controlled and the security forces were stepping up surveillance, particularly on resort islands. 

In PUTRAJAYA, Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said the Malaysian Armed Forces (ATM) was ready to lend a helping hand, if need be, in the case involving the Taiwanese couple.

This was because Semporna fell within the Eastern Sabah Security Command (Esscom) and Eastern Sabah Security Zone (Esszone), he told a news conference today.

Meanwhile, he said the first batch of Armed Forces personnel who went to the Philippines to help victims of super typhoon Haiyan reported that the situation was much worse than expected.

- Bernama