KUALA LUMPUR: The activist Peter Chong has apologised to his family, relatives and friends for the distress he caused them over his disappearance.
The former Petaling Jaya City councillor also expressed his appreciation to the police for "their professionalism in handling the missing person report made by my family."
Chong said his family had informed the police of his return.
"The police were very helpful in assisting (me upon my) arrival at KLIA, where I subsequently made a statement to the Investigating Officer," he said in a statement released on his Facebook page, at 4pm today.
Chong extended his appreciation to a Malaysian embassy officer in Bangkok who assisted him, as well as two Thai police officers in Pattaya who arranged for his return.
Chong claims that he had tried to lodge a police report over his alleged abduction at the Pattaya police station, but said the officer had asked him to lodge the report in Hat Yai, as it was there that he was held against his will.
He said he plans to lodge a report on the incident at the Thai embassy here, and will return to Hat Yai to lodge a report there if he has to.
Chong said he will continue to give his full cooperation to the police and their Thai counterparts who are investigating the matter.
He urged the media to respect his family's privacy.
Chong went missing on April 6, in the wake of the alleged abduction of fellow activist, Pastor Raymond Koh. His family lodged a police report the next day.
About a week before he disappeared, Chong left a cryptic post on his Facebook page, which raised fears for his safety.
He safely returned to the country on Sunday, claiming that he was abducted in Hat Yai during a trip to Thailand to meet a source who claimed to have information on the whereabouts of Koh.