Malaysian navy fires on RI trawler, one killed

Malaysian navy fires on RI trawler, one killed

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): A Malaysian navy patrol boat fired on an Indonesian trawler which tried to ram it, killing one of the 40 illegal immigrants on board, reports said on Sunday.

The trawler ignored an order to stop early on Saturday after it entered Malaysian waters near the northern resort island of Langkawi, the New Sunday Times said.

Several shots were fired before the navy managed to stop and board the trawler.

One of the would-be immigrants was shot dead, the newspaper said, while the others had been detained for questioning.

Malaysian defense minister Najib Razak, quoted by The Sun, warned that Indonesia's political instability might lead to another influx of immigrants into Malaysia.

He told the armed forces to be on the alert and step up surveillance on coastal areas and other entry points.

Thousands of Indonesians have slipped into Malaysia in search of work. Indonesian Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri visited Malaysia last month and promised to try to stem the flood of illegal immigrants.

Malaysian Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar said at the time his country has "a few hundred thousand" illegal immigrants, most of them Indonesians.

A total of 97,147 illegal immigrants were deported last year, of whom 83,190 were Indonesians.