14 still missing after migrant boat sinks off Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP) — A boat carrying 37 undocumented migrants believed to be Indonesians capsized off Pangkor island on Malaysia’s west coast, leaving 14 people missing, authorities said Tuesday.

The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) in Perak said a fisherman alerted officials early Monday after spotting survivors drifting 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,” Perak MMEA director Mohamad Shukri Khotob said.

He said the group likely departed Kisaran, Indonesia, on 9 May, en route to multiple Malaysian destinations including Penang, Selangor, Terengganu and Kuala Lumpur.

Rescue teams have deployed boats, a helicopter and surveillance aircraft in the search.

Survivors have been handed to police for investigation.

Malaysia is a major destination for migrant labor from poorer parts of Southeast Asia, with many entering irregularly. Sea crossings arranged by trafficking syndicates are often deadly.

In November 2025, 36 migrants died when a vessel capsized near the Thai-Malaysian border.