SHAH ALAM, March 6 — Two friends are feared missing after they went out fishing in a boat in the waters around Port Klang last Sunday.

Selangor Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) Director, Maritime Captain Abdul Muhaimin Muhammad Salleh, identified one of the victims as Muhammad Irwanshah Ismail, 33, while his friend is known only as Halim.

He said that their disappearance was reported by the victim’s younger brother at the Selangor State Maritime Headquarters on Wednesday.

The report said that the two men had headed out to sea in a fiberglass boat from the Kampung Pendamar Jetty, Klang, at 12:30pm and have yet to return.

“According to the victim’s wife, the last communication with them was at 8:30pm on the same day via WhatsApp. The victim informed her that they were taking shelter at a fishing hut due to strong winds, about an hour’s travel from the Kampung Pendamar jetty, though the exact location was not specified,” he said in a statement yesterday.

Following the report, Abdul Muhaimin said the agency deployed the PERKASA 36 vessel to the fishing hut areas in the waters of Pulau Ketam for an initial search. Subsequently, the Johor Bahru Maritime Rescue Sub Centre (MRSC) activated a Search and Rescue (SAR) operation at 2:45pm on Wednesday.

“The first day of the operation was suspended at 8:30pm due to bad weather and darkness, which hindered search efforts, and resumed at 7am today. Selangor Maritime has also established a Search and Rescue Forward Base (PHC) at the Selangor State Maritime Headquarters to coordinate operational movements within the search sectors,” he added.

The second day of the operation involves three additional assets from various agencies, including the Marine Police Force (PPM), the Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM), and the Malaysia Civil Defence Force (APM), covering a search area of 66 square nautical miles.

He urged anyone with information or those who may have a missing family member known as Halim to contact the Selangor State Maritime office to assist in the search efforts. — Bernama