KUALA LUMPUR: Eighteen Indonesian migrants were trying to enter the country illegally when they ran into difficulties and their boat capsized 11 nautical miles off the coast of Kuala Selangor last Thursday.
However, they managed to get to a lighthouse 11 nautical miles west of Kuala Selangor.
Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) director-general Maritime Admiral Datuk Hamid Mohd Amin, in a statement today, said the Johor Baru Maritime Rescue Sub Centre received an emergency call from one of the migrant's relatives through the MERS 999 hotline.
Hamid said an operation was launched to find the migrants after the relative said that they were all stranded at the lighthouse.
"Acting on this information, the MMEA called the marine police for assistance in rescuing and transporting the victims to the marine police jetty in Pulau Indah for further investigations."
Hamid said the migrants, comprising 11 men and seven women, were trying to enter the country without documentation.
He said the case will be investigated under Section 5 (2) of the Immigration Act 1959/63 relating to illegal entry into the country via unauthorised routes, besides the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act (Atipsom) 2007.