BATU PAHAT, June 26 — The body of 68-year-old fisherman Lee Pong Liang, who was reported missing on Friday after the boat he was in capsized, was found yesterday afternoon.
Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) Batu Pahat maritime zone director Mohd Haniff Mohd Yunus said Lee’s remains were found by a ferry that was on its way from Bengkalis in Indonesia to the Muar jetty at about 2pm.
“The victim was found in the waters of Muar, which is about 25 nautical miles from the scene of the incident at Tanjung Segenting in Batu Pahat.
“Lee’s body was then handed over to MMEA officers before being taken to the Marine Department’s jetty in Muar.
“The remains will be referred to the police and sent to the Sultanah Fatimah Specialist Hospital in Muar for further action,” he said in a statement late last night.
Following the discovery, Mohd Haniff said that the search and rescue (SAR) operation, on its fifth day, had ended yesterday as there were no new leads for another missing victim, Raud Darus @ Hamid, 53.
However, he said search efforts for him continue through MMEA’s routine patrols.
Last Friday, five fishermen were reported missing after their boat capsized due to a storm at 6.8 nautical miles from Tanjung Segenting’s waters the night before.
All five had left the fishing jetty in Kampung Bumiputera Dalam, Rengit at about 8pm.
In the incident, only 43-year-old fisherman Tan Siak Bin survived.
Besides Lee, authorities had earlier managed to recover the drowned remains of the boat’s skipper Chia Kah Chong, 51, and Tan Hai Lan, 62. Raud is still unaccounted for.
