Shahidan gives the shirt off his back to survivor

PETALING JAYA: Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim, who boarded a fishing trawler to check on the survivors, was so taken aback by the state of the survivors that he took off his shirt and gave it to one of them.

The Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department later alighted from the fishing trawler in his undershirt.

He said he had given his shirt to a survivor who was cold and shivering.

He said the survivors expressed their gratitude for the search and rescue effort.

The Prime Minister has also ordered a thorough investigation into the cause of the tragedy.

“I take the Sabah boat capsize tragedy very seriously, and I want a thorough investigation to identify the cause of the incident.

“However, for now, complete focus must be given to the search and rescue of other victims who are still missing,” Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak wrote on his Facebook account yesterday.

He urged all parties to abide by the rules and guidelines set by the Government to ensure their safety.

The catamaran’s skipper and a crewman who were the first to be rescued, are being held to assist police investigations into the incident, Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Ramli Din said on Twitter.

A third person, who is the owner of the boat and company proprietor, was detained yesterday.