BATU PAHAT, The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) intends to extend the search area for four fishermen who went missing when their boat overturned in the waters of Tanjung Segenting here yesterday.

Batu Pahat Maritime Zone director, Cmdr (Maritime) Mohd Haniff Mohd Yunus said the search and rescue operation will be extended to the coastal areas around which the overturned boat was reported to have drifted to from where it had overturned in the middle of the sea.

‘The search will be conducted there as the surrounding geographic conditions that is muddy and swampy. It is also based on testimony from the rescued victim, that all of them managed to jump overboard before the boat capsized.

‘The chances of missing victims being found safely is still there if they are wearing life jackets or are clinging on floating objects, or being found by other seafarers,’ he told reporters at a media conference at the Batu Pahat Maritime Zone Base here today.

He also said that the search and rescue operation had
stopped at 7 pm and would resume at 7 am tomorrow, and that a MMEA helicopter would be roped in for the search.

Five local fishermen, 43 to 63, were reported to have jumped overboard when their boat overturned at around 6.8 nautical miles southwest of Tanjung Segenting at about 6 am when it was hit by strong waves due to bad weather.

Four fishermen, boat captain Chia Kah Chong, 51; Raud Daud @ Hamid, 53, Tan Hai Lian, 62, and Lee Pong Ling, 63, are still missing, while Tan Siak Bin, 43, was rescued by nearby fishermen at around 8 am yesterday.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency