PORT KLANG, June 20 — Masri left Malaysia under the cover of darkness, hoping to make it back in time for Ramadan. Instead, the Indonesian found himself clinging on to a barrel for 28 hours after the boat that he was in capsized. 

The 37-year-old said the boat was full with fellow Indonesians, looking to return home when it was hit by strong winds, causing seawater to spill in and spoil the boat’s engine. 

This latest incident follows another boat capsizing near Sungai Air Hitam, near Pulau Carey. 

“All of us panicked and the next thing we knew the boat was capsizing. I immediately grabbed onto the first barrel I saw and I didn’t let go of it until about 9am the next day when I was rescued by one of the ships around the area,” he said.

Masri and 13 others were found by three merchant ships, whose crew then alerted the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA).

The incident happened 10.5 nautical miles off Tanjung Sepat Selatan, Sepang. MMEA confirmed the boat had left Pantai Morib at 3am Wednesday and capsized two hours later. 

As of yesterday evening, 20 of the 27 Indonesians have been rescued while the missing include a two-year-old child.

Three of them have been sent to Banting Hospital while another three were sent to Sungai Buloh Hospital. They are being treated for dehydration and exhaustion. 

MMEA and the Indonesian embassy have not found any documentation for the passengers of both incidents entering the country legally but they hold Indonesian identification. 

Masri, who has been staying in Malaysia since 1996, said it was his first time traveling home illegally. 

“Usually I will get a proper permit and go home in a much safer way, but this is a much cheaper mode of transport,” said Masri, who paid RM650 for his passage home. 

His legal status in the country is unknown, but according to Masri, he was working as a chicken seller at a wet market in Petaling Jaya and was travelling alone.

Another survivor, Dahlia, said she was on the boat which her seven-month pregnant sister-in-law and her niece.

“I paid RM750 to her and she arranged everything for me,” said Dahlia, who has been in the country for only five months.

Her sister-in-law has been admitted into Sungai Buloh Hospital for treatment, but her two-year-old child is still missing.

“I was so overwhelmed with what was happening that I just jumped off and struggled until three men on the boat threw a float at me,” said Dahlia.