14 missing, 23 rescued after migrant boat sinks off Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR: A boat carrying 37 undocumented migrants believed to be from Indonesia sank off Pangkor island on Malaysia’s west coast, leaving 14 people still missing, maritime authorities said.

The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) in Perak said it was alerted early Monday by a local fisherman who found the survivors floating at sea.

“Initial investigations… found that the total number of migrants on the boat was 37. So far, 23 victims have been rescued while efforts are ongoing to locate the remaining individuals,” Mohamad Shukri Khotob, Perak MMEA director, said in a statement issued late Monday night.

“Preliminary investigations also found that they (the migrants) departed from Kisaran, Indonesia, on May 9 and… headed for several destinations in Malaysia, including Penang, Terengganu, Selangor and Kuala Lumpur,” Mohamad Shukri added.

He said the agency has deployed boats, a helicopter and surveillance aircraft to search for the missing.

Those who were rescued have been handed over to the police for further investigation.

Relatively affluent Malaysia is home to millions of migrants from poorer parts of Asia, many of them undocumented, working in industries including construction and agriculture.

But the crossings, facilitated by human trafficking syndicates, are often hazardous leading to boats capsizing.

In one of the deadliest recent incidents, 36 migrants died in November 2025 after their boat capsized near the Thai-Malaysian coast.