Mr Nurul Hizam was quoted by local media as saying that the five people aboard were three Malaysians and two Indonesians.
When asked if pirates were involved, Mr Nurul Hizam said that authorities were looking at all angles including the possibility of bad weather.
“We do not want to speculate,” he said, according to the New Straits Times, adding that the value of the metal pipes was RM726,205 (US$166,065).
He added that the Maritime Rescue Control Centre (MRCC) in Putrajaya has also sought help from Indonesia’s authorities to track the vessel.
He said MRSC Johor Bahru also sent a NAVTEX – a system providing all navigating officers on the sea with the latest information – to ask for help from the maritime community on any information about the missing ship.
The maritime community is requested to contact the Johor State Maritime Operations Center at 07-219 9401 or MERS 999 if they have information.
Source: CNA
