At least 14 people are missing after a boat carrying migrants sank off Malaysia’s western coast near Pangkor Island early Monday, according to the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA). Authorities reported that 23 people have been rescued alive so far. A local fisherman first spotted several people floating in the sea and alerted the authorities, prompting a rescue operation.

Perak MMEA Director Mohamad Shukri Khotab said preliminary investigations indicated that the boat carried 37 undocumented migrants. The group had departed from Kisaran in Indonesia on May 9, bound for various destinations in Malaysia including Penang, Terengganu, Selangor, and Kuala Lumpur. Rescue vessels, helicopters, and surveillance aircraft have been deployed to search for the missing, while the rescued individuals have been handed over to police for further investigation.

Malaysia hosts millions of migrant workers from poorer Asian countries, many of whom enter illegally to work in construction, agriculture, and other sectors. Authorities noted that such sea journeys, often organized by human trafficking networks, are highly dangerous. A similar tragedy in November 2025 near the Thai-Malaysian coast claimed 36 lives.