The remaining five hostages seized by gunmen from a resort in Sabah last month are still alive, despite initial reports that they were killed by their kidnappers, Defence Minister Najib Razak said today.

"We have confirmed that the five hostages are still alive and we hope they can be rescued," Najib was quoted as saying by the Bernama news agency.

The ministry had been informed by "certain sources" that the five were still in the hands of their captors in the Philippines, he said.

Gunmen widely suspected of being Filipino Muslim Abu Sayyaf rebels operating in the southern Philippines seized six foreign workers - Filipinos and Indonesians - from the Paradise Resort in the Malaysian section of Borneo island on Oct 5.

One hostage, Nonoy Arkusil, who was rescued late October in the Tawi-Tawi island group near Malaysia's eastern Sabah state, told Philippine authorities that his companions were killed by the gunmen. - AFP