KUALA LUMPUR - A company manager, feared to be a Chinese national, was kidnapped early Tuesday in Malaysia's state of Sabah, according to local sources.

The incident was believed to occur at Silam near Lahad Datu between 2:45 a.m. and 2:55 a.m.

Local newspaper The Star quoted unofficial reports as saying that the victim's name was Yang Zailin and was a manager of Wonderful Terrace Sdn Bhd, a company operating a fish farm in the area.

Other information including the victim's sex identification has not been reached so far.

The Star said gunmen were believed to have fled towards the southern Philippines, without giving more detail.

Sabah police commissioner Hamza Taib is expected to launch a press conference at noon on the incident.

Two women, a Chinese tourist and a Filipino resort worker, were abducted by a group of gunmen from a Semporna resort in Sabah on April 2.