KL probing coastal shooting incident that led to death of an Indonesian

Malaysia has started investigations into a shooting incident involving its coast guard that led to the death of an Indonesian migrant worker and injured four others, raising a rare diplomatic flap between the two close neighbours.

- Zunaira Saieed and Linda Yulisman

The Malaysian embassy in Jakarta was pelted with eggs on Jan 30 by members of human rights groups and labour unions angered by the incident, with Jakarta issuing a diplomatic note to Malaysia and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto calling for a thorough probe.

A 50-year-old migrant worker, Mr Basri from Riau province, was shot dead by officers from the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) on Jan 24 after they opened fire on a boat for allegedly trespassing in the waters of Tanjung Rhu in Selangor state.

Two others in the same boat who had suffered gunshot injuries have been discharged from the hospital in Selangor, and are now in the custody of the Malaysian police. The remaining two were still in hospital on Feb 3.

Mr Basri's remains were returned to Riau on Jan 29.

The incident occurred at around 3am on Jan 24 when a patrol boat from the MMEA spotted a boat near the Selangor coast.

The Malaysian officers issued a warning to the boat using a loudhailer, but the boat sped away. The MMEA officers later fired shots at the fleeing boat with the five on board, killing Mr Basri.

Malaysia's Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail told a news conference in Kuala Lumpur on Feb 3 that the authorities detected a "suspicious contact" in Malaysian waters before officers intercepted and issued warnings to the vessel.