Twenty-six Rohingya refugees, who had been feared drowned while trying to swim ashore close to the Malaysian resort island of Langkawi, have been found alive.
They were found trying to hide in the vegetation on a nearby islet, a senior coastguard official said on Monday.
All have been detained as Malaysia does not recognise refugee status.
More than 700,000 Rohingya fled Myanmar after a military crackdown in 2017, settling in camps in Bangladesh that many are now trying to escape from as well and build a better life.
Al Jazeera’s Florence Looi joins us live from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, for the latest updates.
– Subscribe to our channel: http://aje.io/AJSubscribe
– Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AJEnglish
– Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera
– Check our website: https://www.aljazeera.com/
#Malaysia #RohingyaRefugees #AljazeeraEnglish