Search area for 2 missing fishermen expanded to 54 sq km

Melaka Tengah district police chief, ACP Afzanizar Ahmad said the SAR operation started at 8 am yesterday involving the area from the jetty to around Pulau Undan, the location where the victims were believed to be last seen on Wednesday (Jan 13) as claimed by a witness, also a fisherman.

"The search on the first day (on Sunday) from 11 am to 7 pm continued today. We also received help from helicopters of the Malaysia Fire and Rescue Department’s (JPBM) Air Unit.

"The search area was expanded today but until now there has been no indication as to the two fishermen’s whereabouts ,” he said when met at the scene.

Afzanizar said the wife of Ahmad Norizan Mohamad, 37, realised that her husband was missing on Saturday when he failed to return home since Jan 13 after going out with his friend, Irwan Radjab, 47.

The 36-year-old woman also found her husband’s black Kia Spectra car being left by the roadside near the Padang Temu fishermen’s jetty before lodging a police report.

“She said Norizan was last seen wearing a red collared T-shirt and black shorts while Irwan was in a white T-shirt and blue pants.

"The initial investigation also found that some fishermen had seen Norizan’s boat at sea on Jan 13 and both men were believed to have gone out at 8 am.

"However, yesterday a fisherman claimed to have seen an object in the international waters,” he said.

Afzanizar said the SAR operation involved six officers and 50 other personnel from the police, JBPM, Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency and Civil Defence Force.