KOTA BARU: The Immigration Department will manage the documentation process for all victims involved in the sinking of a boat carrying 90 undocumented migrants near the Malaysian-Thai border on Saturday.
Its director-general, Datuk Zakaria Shaaban, said the process will follow standard immigration procedures and cover both survivors and the deceased.
“Immigration officers will handle all documentation for those involved in the tragedy,” he said after attending a coordination meeting with state immigration directors from border areas here today.
Zakaria said the department will also extend full cooperation to the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) and the police to ensure investigations proceed smoothly.
“The Immigration Department will provide full support and assistance to MMEA in their investigation,” he added.
He said the department received initial information about the incident from MMEA, which is leading the investigation to determine if any syndicate involvement was linked to the tragedy.
The incident occurred near the Malaysian-Thai maritime border when a vessel carrying about 90 undocumented migrants reportedly capsized.
Search and rescue operations are ongoing, with several casualties reported.
Five more bodies — including that of a young boy — were recovered today, raising the death toll from the Langkawi migrant boat tragedy to 18.
The migrants are believed to have departed Buthidaung, Myanmar, aboard a “mother vessel” carrying about 300 people nearly a month ago.
As the vessel neared the Thailand–Malaysia maritime boundary, the group was reportedly split into three smaller boats, each carrying between 90 and 100 people.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
