TANAH MERAH: The government is working on repatriating seven Malaysians after they apparently entered Philippine waters unknowingly last Sunday.
Home minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said negotiations to bring them back are ongoing.
“I have been informed by Eastern Sabah Security Command commander Victor Sanjos about the incident, and we are now working to bring back the detained Malaysians.
"We hope for a positive result soon. We are also identifying and contacting the tour company that managed them, because the incident occurred when the boat carrying passengers went out of Malaysian waters,"he said.
SPONSORED CONTENT Sinyi Group Founder, Chou Chun-Chi, Wins 2024 Asia Pacific Enterprise Award and Expands Sustainable Tourism Ventures in Sabah, Malaysia Kota Kinabalu: The 2024 Asia Pacific Enterprise Awards, hosted by Enterprise Asia, aims to recognize the most outstanding business leaders and organizations in the Asia-Pacific region. Read more On Sunday, Philippine authorities detained 15 people, comprising the seven Malaysians and eight Chinese nationals, for illegally entering the country’s waters.
Philippine Immigration Bureau commissioner Norman Tansingco said in a statement they were detained in the waters of Sitangkai in the southern region of the country, after entering Philippine territory on two speedboats without valid travel documents.
Saifuddin also said cross-border crime trends, especially those related to human trafficking, have seen increasing Malaysian involvement.
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