KOTA KINABALU: Three years ago, he accepted a job offer on board a cargo vessel with the hope of expanding his horizons and gaining new experience in life.
Derrent Littor, then 22, went through an interview, obtained his permit from Sabah’s Marine Department and made the necessary arrangements before boarding the ship in late December 2022.
That was the last time his loved ones saw him.
The ship went missing and its crew members have yet to be found.
“We have been waiting for three years. Every day, we hope. Every day, we keep waiting,” said his sister Sandra Littor about her youngest sibling.
“My parents still ask me what has happened to our brother and whether we have given up hope. All I can say to them is that we have never lost hope but there have been no updates,” she said when contacted.
Going by past reports, the vessel carrying metal pipes left Kampung Acheh in Perak on Dec 23 that year and was supposed to arrive in Kuching on Dec 31.
Sandra, the third of six siblings, said the family was given information about the supposed whereabouts of the vessel when the disappearance first became public knowledge.
For instance, she said there was talk that the ship was in Indonesian waters and ports.
But each time, the family ended up being disappointed, said Sandra.
“Whenever we got information of possible sightings of the ship, or even talk that someone saw a similar vessel or the captain in Indonesia, we would inform the authorities, but in the end, all these leads seemed to just vanish.”
Sandra, 37, said there was also a supposed tip-off that her brother and the rest of the missing crew would be released in Sarawak, which also turned out to be false.
About a year after the disappearance, she said the calls from authorities had stopped.
“We are appealing to the authorities in Malaysia and Indonesia to reopen the files.”
All her family wanted was for Derrent to return home, she said.
“At least, give us some closure. All the affected families deserve it.”
Derrent and two other Malaysian crew members are listed in Interpol’s Yellow Notice. Two others, who are Indonesians, are listed too.
Their date of disappearance is listed as Jan 9, 2023.
According to Interpol, Yellow Notices are issued to help “locate missing persons, often minors, or to help identify persons who are unable to identify themselves”.
The Yellow Notice provides description of the missing person such as the height, hair and eye colour, as well as distinguishing features like moles.
As of yesterday, there are 17 Malaysians listed on the notice.
In a response to The Star, the international police organisation said its primary role is to facilitate cooperation and information-sharing between law enforcement agencies across borders.
“Interpol does not conduct investigations itself, these are always done by the national authorities of the countries involved,” its press office said.
It also explained that the the agency also does not maintain direct contact with family members, as the domestic police force leading the case handles all liaison matters.
As for the Yellow Notices, Interpol said not all alerts are available for public viewing, as some are restricted for law enforcement use.
The organisation said Yellow Notices are an important tool in cases of missing and abducted persons because they provide wide international exposure.
Among the advantages, it said, is the ability to give cases high international visibility, while also allowing missing or abducted persons to be flagged to border officials, making travel difficult.
In addition, Interpol said member countries can request and share critical information linked to the investigation, helping national police forces coordinate efforts more effectively across jurisdictions.
