(a) whether complaints have been received about the Indian citizens missing while navigating
MV SOON BEE II from Sibu to Kuching;
(b) if so, the details thereof;
(c) whether any efforts has been made by the Indian Embassy located in Malaysia in this regard;and
(d) if so, the details thereof?
MINISTER OF THE STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS (SMT. PRENEET KAUR)
(a) Yes.
(b) Representations have been received from the kith and kin of the Indian nationals who were
part of the crew of the Ship M.V. ‘Soon Bee II’, which sunk at Kuala Rajang, Sarikei, off the
coast of Sarawak, Malaysia on 11.1.2011. There were 9 Indian nationals among the crew members.
5 of them were rescued. The whereabouts of rest of the four could not be traced (The name and
passport nos. of the rescued and the missing Indians are given at annexure A). As of the latest
information, the four missing Indians remain untraceable and no mortal remains have been recovered
as per the Malaysian Government and the employer M/s Southern Navigation Sdn. Bhd, Sarawak, Malaysia.
Thus no evidence has been found of these four missing Indians having perished in the incident.
(c) Yes. The High Commission of India, Kuala Lumpur after coming to know the incident on 17.1.2011
has made utmost efforts to repatriate the rescued Indians to India and to find the whereabouts of
the missing Indians.
(d) The details are as under:
(i) To the five rescued Indian nationals, the Mission issued with emergency certificates (travel documents)
on the same day when they were brought to the Mission by the employer (24.01.2011). They were repatriated to
India on 26.1.2011.
(ii) As for the four missing Indians, the Mission wrote to the employer (the shipping company) on 17.01.2011
(immediately after coming to know of the incident), and later to the Malaysian authorities to mount search
and rescue operations on continued basis to trace the missing persons. The Malaysian side was also requested
to update the Mission on the police investigation in the case.
(iii) The Mission contacted the Malaysian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Director General of Labour,
Malaysian Ministry of Human Resources and Chief Inspector, Interpol, Malaysia/Royal Malaysian Police
seeking their assistance in tracing the concerned Indians.
(iv) Malaysian side conveyed on 21.01.2011 that they had failed to locate the concerned Indians till
19.01.2011 and the operation was, therefore called off after eight days of operation being launched
on 11.01.2011.
(v) As the four Indians could not be traced, the Mission worked with the employer to get compensation
to the next of kin of the concerned Indians. The employer informed on 18.3.2011 that it was working
with the concerned insurance company to get the compensation paid and it had submitted application
for compensation.
(vi) During this period, the High Commission maintained constant touch with the families of a few missing
Indians – Shri Akhand Pratap Singh and Shri Arun Mathunnuy Raj. The Mission also provided to the families
the employer’s contact number so that they could contact the company directly.
(vii) The Mission has written to the Govt. of Malaysia and the company in end-July, requesting them to
update on the status of the police investigation in to the case and its outcome and on the likely date
of payment of insurance claim.