GEORGE TOWN: Four fishermen, including the skipper, were rescued by a team from the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (Maritime Malaysia) Penang after their boat broke down early this morning.
Maritime Malaysia Penang director Captain Maritime Abd Razak Mohamed said all the victims, aged between 29 and 61, were rescued about 3.50am.
He said the boat was found 1.5 nautical miles southwest of Pulau Rimau here.
"We received an emergency call regarding a fishing boat from Tanjung Piandang, Perak, that had broken down near Pulau Rimau at 2.45am today. A Kilat 26 patrol boat rushed to the location in search of the boat.
"An hour later, we managed to find the boat. It had four crew, including the skipper, on board," he said.
He said all the victims were healthy and safe and were transferred to the Maritime Malaysia patrol boat.
"The broken down fibre boat was towed to the Batu Maung Shipyard jetty for further action," he added.
Meanwhile, one of the victims, Nur Azhar Jiffre, 29, said they tried to repair the fault but failed and proceeded to call for help.
"Our boat broke down about 7pm yesterday and drifted into Penang waters early this morning.
"Thankfully, we are all safe and no untoward incident occurred," he said, thanking Maritime Malaysia Penang for rescuing them.
Abd Razak advised the fishing community to prioritise safety at sea apart from ensuring all equipment, especially boats, are in good condition.
For any complaints on maritime crimes or any emergency at sea, the public can call the Penang State Maritime Operations Centre hotline at 04-2626146 or the MERS 999 emergency line.