Published: Tuesday August 28, 2012 MYT 9:37:00 PM

Malaysian hostage survivor hopes to work closer to home

By JOSEPH SIPALAN

SEPANG: George Lipih Ambo is having second thoughts about going back to Nigeria after being held hostage by pirates for over two weeks.

The 42-year-old oil and gas technician who is still traumatised by the experience said he wants to find work closer to home.

“I haven't decided, but I hope to work in Malaysia,” said George, who worked in Nigeria for the past four years.

George and three of his colleagues were abducted on Aug 4 by Nigerian pirates who boarded their oil servicing vessel Jascon 33 in the Gulf of Guinea, south of Nigeria.

Two Nigerian vessel guards were killed in the raid.

George had earlier said that the pirates held a gun to his head for most of his waking hours during the 19-day ordeal, which ended after the pirates released him and his colleagues on Aug 23.

“For now, it is time for me to rest. I want to spend time with my family, but the first thing I will do when I get home is to work out things (regarding his job),” he said before boarding a flight back to his hometown in Miri with his family Tuesday.

Earlier, Parti Raykat Sarawak (PRS) president Tan Sri James Masing gave George and his family RM1,000 aid at the KLIA.

Masing said he would meet with the state government to create a framework to provide more jobs for locals.

“You must understand that many Sarawakian boys in the oil and gas industry are working in safer places like Russia, and some in America ... a lot of Ibans are working in these areas.

“Some of them are very skilful, unfortunately the opportunities are not there at the moment.

“I think the state government is duty-bound to ensure that we have places for people to work at home, either in Sarawak or in other parts of Malaysia,” he said.

Masing is hopeful that the upcoming Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (Score) will create sufficient job opportunities for skilled Sarawakians on home soil over the next five to 10 years.

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