Armed raiders who kidnapped six foreign workers from a Malaysian resort on Borneo this week have made a demand for an undisclosed ransom to secure the release of their hostages, local media reported today.

An unidentified person, believed to be a local speaking in Malay, used a cellular phone to contact the police, the resort operator and the family of one of the hostages after the tiny riverside Borneo Paradise Resort in eastern Sabah state was hit by the band of 10 gunmen last Sunday.

Malaysian police chief Norian Mai confirmed the ransom demand.

"There has been contact for ransom of the hostages," he was quoted as saying by the New Straits Times. He declined to comment further.

Police had earlier said the kidnapping of the three Indonesian and three Filipino workers was carried out by local criminals or "pirates" who may have had foreign help.

Although some of the kidnappers were wearing military fatigues and carried assault rifles, police ruled out that they were members of the Philippine Muslim rebel group Abu Sayyaf, which carried out similar raids by boat on the Sipadan resort in Sabah twice in 2000, kidnapping tourists and demanding ransoms.

Ransomed for millions

The Sipadan hostages were shipped to the southern Philippine island of Jolo where they were held for nearly a year in the jungle. They were later ransomed for millions of dollars.

Meanwhile, the Philippine military has dismissed the possibility that the gunmen and their captives have landed on Jolo.

"There is no such thing. We have nothing to indicate that the gunmen have landed in Jolo," Philippines Armed Forces Vice Chief-of-staff Lieutenant-General Rodolfo Garcia was quoted as saying by the Star.

"We are still relying on Malaysian authorities for information as to where the gunmen and their captives are," he said.

Malaysian police have said they believe the gunmen are still in Malaysian waters.

Malaysia had already beefed up security around the many resorts in Sabah after the previous kidnapping incidents, but the United States maintains an advisory warning its citizens against travel to the area. - AFP