China wants Malaysia to do its best to locate missing six

PETALING JAYA: The Chinese Embassy urged Malaysia to continue its good work to locate the six Sabah boat mishap victims still missing.

The embassy in Kuala Lumpur said in a statement Monday that it hoped a thorough investigation would also be launched into the incident to ensure the safety of tourists visiting Sabah.

“With a heavy heart, we express our deepest condolences to the deceased, and our most sincere sympathy to the families of the deceased victims and injured tourists.

“We will provide assistance to family members who would need to come to Malaysia,” the embassy said.

It added that its consul-general based in Kota Kinabalu Chen Peijie was with the survivors who are now being treated at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

The embassy also cautioned Chinese tourists visiting Malaysia to heighten their safety awareness to ensure safe travels.

Earlier, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak called for a thorough investigation into the catamaran that sank while on a journey to Pulau Mengalum on Saturday.

The catamaran carrying 28 Chinese tourists and three crew members capsized at about 10am after being hit by strong winds and huge waves an hour after leaving the Tanjung Aru jetty here for Pulau Mengalum, a tourist attraction about 56km northwest of Kota Kinabalu.

The 26-year-old skipper and a 38-year-old crewman were rescued on Sunday, but were held under Section 304A of the Penal Code for causing death by negligence.

They were being held Monday to assist police investigations into the incident, Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Ramli Din said on Twitter.

Twenty tourists and two crew members were also rescued from waters near Labuan, about 32 hours after the catamaran sank. Three tourists were found dead.