Malaysia Searches for Missing Rohingya After Boat Sinks, Death Toll Rises to 21

by Hafizur Rahman

Langkawi, November 11, 2025 —

Malaysian authorities are continuing search and rescue operations in the Andaman Sea after a boat carrying Rohingya refugees from Myanmar sank near the Thailand–Malaysia border. At least 21 bodies have been recovered — 12 in Malaysia and 9 in Thailand — while dozens remain missing.

The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) said 13 people have been rescued so far. “Weather conditions are not friendly, but we are trying our best,” said agency head Romli Mustafa, adding that searches are ongoing as survivors may still be clinging to debris.

The refugees were among hundreds of Rohingya who left Bangladesh two weeks ago, hoping to reach Malaysia. The group was later divided into two boats. One of them, carrying about 70 passengers, sank near Langkawi Island last Thursday. The second boat, carrying around 230 people, is still unaccounted for.

Among those missing is Mohammed Ibrahim, a 29-year-old father of three from the refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. His brother, Mohammed Younus, said Ibrahim left without telling his family. “If I had known, I would never have let him go. He has a wife, a three-year-old son, and twin baby daughters. Who will care for them now?” he said.

Thousands of Rohingya have been fleeing renewed fighting in Myanmar’s Rakhine State and deteriorating conditions in Bangladesh’s overcrowded refugee camps, where about 1.3 million people live. Many see Malaysia as a safer place despite its lack of formal refugee protection.

According to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), more than 5,100 Rohingya have attempted sea crossings from Myanmar and Bangladesh so far this year, with nearly 600 dead or missing.

Malaysian and Thai authorities have deployed air and sea patrols that may continue for a week. Refugee identification cards found on two children’s bodies recovered in Thailand confirmed they were from the Cox’s Bazar camps.

Rohingya refugees say they take these perilous journeys out of desperation. “People are desperate,” said Naser Khan, a refugee in Cox’s Bazar. “People are dying in the fighting and dying from hunger. Some think it’s better to die at sea than to die slowly here.”