"Right now the search is still going on," Jonas Lomban Tobing, Indonesian consul general based in Johor Bahru, told Antara by phone on Friday.
The boat was reportedly carrying 24 Indonesian migrant workers when it sank in East Johor waters en route to Batam, Riau Islands province, early Wednesday. Seven of the 24 workers are still missing.
Jonas said the search involved the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (APPM), Marine Police and the Malaysian Navy.
"We keep monitoring the search," he said.
Under the Malaysian government`s policy, the search would be conducted for three days since the tragedy occurred early Wednesday, he said.
Seventeen of the Indonesian migrant workers were rescued by APPM personnel after they had been floating in the waters for seven hours.
Spokesman for the Riau Islands provincial police Adj Sr Com Hartono said the Indonesian police could not do much to rescue the Indonesian migrant workers.
"We are coordinating with the Malaysian police now," he said.
Meanwhile, the director of Riau Islands provincial water police, Adj Sr Com Muhammad Yassin Kosasih said Malaysian police were still searching for the missing Indonesian migrant workers.
"The Indonesian police have no access to the scene because it did not occur in our territory," he said.
The migrant workers were believed to be illegal as the boat did not depart from an authorized port in Malaysia.(*)
S012/HAJM/H-YH
Editor: Jafar M Sidik
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
