KUCHING: The search and rescue (SAR) operation for a missing fisherman following the capsizing of their boat in the waters off Pulau Burong has yet to yield any results.
To date, five of the six foreign fishermen have been rescued alive after spending several days at sea.
The survivors have been identified as Oeun Van, Khlok Sem, and Thy Ny from Cambodia, as well as Andikah and Irman from Indonesia. The missing fisherman, Chaloem Sonada, a Thai national in his 60s, has yet to be located.
A spokesperson from the Sarawak Fire and Rescue Department's operations centre said the SAR operation was halted at 6 pm today as no new leads were found.
"The operation, coordinated by the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA), will resume tomorrow," the spokesperson said.
The Fire and Rescue Department was only informed of the incident at 6.35am today. Following this, a team from the Tabuan Jaya Fire and Rescue Station was dispatched to the Tun Abang Salehuddin Maritime Complex in Muara Tebas to join the SAR efforts alongside the MMEA and the Sarawak Marine Police Region 5.
The local fishing vessel, manned by six foreign crew members, departed from the Tanjong Bako jetty on Dec 17. On Dec 20, the vessel lost contact and was feared to have capsized. The boat's owner, a local, lodged a police report about the incident at the Santubong police station on Monday.
Three crew members - Khlok Sem, Andikah, and Irman - were rescued by another local fishing boat 3.5 nautical miles west of Pulau Burong on Monday morning.
On the same day, another crew member, Thy Ny, was rescued by a passing ship near Tanjung Po, Muara Tebas.
However, the ship, en route to Sibu, continued its journey and brought the victim to the port in Sibu. After being referred to the MMEA, the victim was handed over to the Sibu Marine Police and then to the Sibu District Police Headquarters for further processing. He was taken to Sibu Hospital for treatment before being transferred to Kuching for further action yesterday.
Meanwhile, the fifth survivor, Oeun Van, was found early yesterday at 3.30am near the Serpan Laut River in Asajaya by local fishermen.