KUALA LUMPUR: A Malaysian businessman who was abducted from a rented house in Jolo Islands, Philippines, was released after more than a year in captivity, when local villagers negotiated with abductors for his freedom.

Nazaruddin Saidin, 39, was in the Philippines for a business trip when the house he was staying in was attacked and he was kidnapped, on May 9 last year.

He was released on Saturday and put on a boat to Sandakan, where he arrived on Sunday, He was flown to Kuala Lumpur Monday night after renewing his legal documents, which he had lost during his captivity.

Relating his ordeal in a press conference Tuesday at the Putera 1Malaysia Club headquarters here, Nazaruddin, a father of six, said he was well fed and taken care of even when his captors moved his location five to six times.

Asked if he had tried to escape, he said he attempted it once but found himself returning to the kidnappers' camp site due to exhaustion and because he was not familiar with the area.

"Luckily, they were not angry. Instead, they advised me not to run away again."

He expressed his gratitude to Putera Umno, which organised his return to Malaysia, and his rescuers for not giving up the search for him, although he was reported dead in December.

Putera 1Malaysia Club president Datuk Abdul Azeez Bin Abdul Rahim said it took seven months of research, with help from Jolo Islands' villagers, to find Nazaruddin.

"The locals were very cooperative and negotiated peacefully with the kidnappers, who did not ask for a ransom and released Nazaruddin without putting up a fight," he said.

• Alliance full year profit up 7% to RM538mil
• Bumi Armada's earnings up 22% to RM109.67mil, order book RM12.2b
• Dayang bags RM2bil contract from Shell
• CIMB earnings up 37.1% to RM1.386b in Q1, 2013
• MMHE Q1 earnings down 35% to RM50.59m
• KLCI closes a shade below record high
• AmIncome Flexi bond fund to attract RM200m investments
• EPF invests additional US$1.3b overseas
• MIDA: Investments up 44% on-year to RM49.3b in Q1
• Prague metro plans to launch love train for singles
• iGate sacks chief executive Murthy after sexual harassment probe
• Eversendai Q1 earnings slip 13.1% to RM23.68m on timing differences
• US asks judge to deny S&P's motion to dismiss fraud lawsuit
• Perdana Petroleum bidding for over RM1b contracts
• IOI Corp Q3 earnings up just 2.8% to RM567.8m (Update)

• 6.0 quake off Russia's far-east Kamchatka coastline: USGS
• Death toll rises to 21 in Indonesian mine collapse
• Dozens dead as tornado hits Oklahoma City (Updated)
• No new H7N9 cases in China for a week: government
• Villagers discover ancient ball game statue in Mexico
• British PM survives gay marriage vote
• Kerry to help ink $2.1 bn defense accord with Oman
• Yahoo unveils makeover of flickr site

• China crush arch rivals Indonesia
• Former Asian phenom takes slow route to success
• Plenty for Hafizh as 55 is significant in his early racing career
• Yi Ting on a mission
• Razif: Indiscipline the cause of senior players’ poor performances
• Cool V Shem believes he will be too hot for rivals to handle
• Spirited Malaysian team vow to deliver against Germans
• Japan hope to reach their first semis in tourney
• KLHC to rule the roost if other teams don’t raise their game
• Malaysia have their work cut out in the World League
• Gobi’s fate to be decided by MHC’s administrative committee
• Andre nails it with last jump
• Grace hammers home a point with two golds
• Delia one step away from main draw after easy win
• Sharon believes KPT circuit is excellent for squash’s future

• Please wait.

• Sarawak ministers, assemblymen get three-fold pay hike
• Rape accused defends marriage to 13-year-old, says it was mutual
• Malindo set to operate from Subang Skypark
• Coconut yogurt anyone?
• MAS flew baby home with doctor's certification, says CEO Ahmad Jauhari
• Cops urge motorists to avoid roads near Dataran PJ Thursday evening
• The best ways to national unity
• Dayang bags RM2bil contract from Shell
• Plaza Rakyat may be revived
• ‘Boycott will be self-defeating’