Kidnappers have made their first phone call to the family of a Chinese woman who was abducted in a resort in Semporna, Sabah along with a Filipino resort worker, Malaysian newspaper New Straits Times reported Sunday.

The gunmen called the family of 29-year old Gao Huayuan, from Shanghai, who is believed being held in Jolo island in southern Philippines.  

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"The call was made by a representative of the gunmen who informed the family that victims are safe," Eastern Sabah Security Command Director-General Mohammad Mentek said.

No demand had been made by the abductors, Mohammad added.

Malaysian authorities could not confirm whether the phone call was true or not, but they are certain that they had not received any demand for ransom.

"We hope they will be returned safely to their families as soon as possible," said Mohammad.

Philippine authorities believe the kidnappers are members of the Abu Sayyaf group that has been sowing terror in southern Philippines by abducting foreigners or Christian workers for ransom, or as human shield.

They usually demand money from relatives of their captives as "board and lodging fee", but occasionally, they also kidnap people to use as human shield against raids by Philippine forces.  

Abu sub-commander Murphy Ambang Ladjia led the group in abducting 21 people at another resort in Sipadan in 2000.

On Wednesday, the gunmen took Gao Huayuan and Filipino Marcy Dayawan around 10:30pm before speeding off on board a boat.

Mohammad said the police was making an investigation, and all security departments in Esscom had discussed the positioning of their vessels and boats in Semporna waters.

Four workers of the Semporna resort, 3 women and 1 man, have been detained because they do not have legal identification papers, Sabah Police Chief Hamza Taib said.

Police believe the resort workers may have provided "key information" to the gunmen and would be useful in assisting them solve the case.