PASIR PUTIH, MALAYSIA: Nor Hasliza Mat Zin has been wrought with worry and anxiety ever since she found out the vessel her fiance was working on had been hijacked off the coast of Somalia.

That was on Aug 19, and the vessel -- Bunga Melati Dua -- is still in the hands of the pirates.

Then, on Tuesday, a week after the hijacking, Nor Hasliza received a call from her fiance Mohd Salwadi Mamat. She was surprised. But, most of all, she was relieved to hear his voice.

That relief soon turned to dismay when she heard what the 31-year-old Mohd Salwadi had to say during the 10-minute conversation. The pirates were demanding a RM10 million ransom for the 29 Malaysian and 10 Filipino crew members.

"His voice sounded different when he told me the pirates asked for RM10 million to release him and other crew members. He sounded nervous.

"He also told me the negotiation on the release was still on-going but he did not mention with whom they were dealing with," said a visibly worried Nor Hasliza.

Speaking at her home in Kampung Danan, here, yesterday, the 22-year-old trainee nurse at the Tengku Ampuan Afzan Hospital said she believed her fiance was still fearful of his life although he told her that he was safe.

"He told me that at the moment, he and other crew members were still in the vessel waiting for the result of the negotiation."

Nor Hasliza said she and her family were praying for the safety of her fiance and the other crew members.