Sabah catamaran skipper, crewman remanded

The two are being investigated for causing death by negligence as the search continues for a crew member and 5 passengers still missing.

PETALING JAYA: Police have initiated an investigation into the catamaran that capsized in Sabah, killing at least three Chinese tourists.

Sabah police commissioner Ramli Din told FMT the skipper and a crew member of the catamaran had been remanded for four days to facilitate the probe.

He said they were being investigated under Section 304A for causing death by negligence.

The two were among the first found by the search and rescue team. They were rescued near Pulau Tiga, about 50km south of Mengalum, early yesterday.

The search team, with the help of fishermen, later found 23 of the Chinese tourists, three of whom had drowned.

Five passengers and one crew member are still missing.

Ramli said the 20 tourists were being treated at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Kota Kinabalu.

The catamaran, with a crew of three and 28 holiday-makers from China, had left from a jetty in Tanjung Aru to Pulau Mengalum at 9am on Saturday.

It failed to arrive at its destination and the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency was alerted late on Saturday night. -FMT