February 6, 2025
JAKARTA – An Indonesian national who was shot by the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (APMM) in a recent incident has died in hospital, the Foreign Ministry has announced.
The victim died on Tuesday at Idris Shah Serdang Hospital in Selangor, where he had been treated since Jan. 24 for gunshot wounds, including undergoing surgery on his kidneys. However, his condition continued to deteriorate. The man has not been named as authorities did not find any identification on him.
“Fellow Indonesian nationals treated at the same hospital also claim not to know the victim. The Indonesian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur is still trying to identify the deceased, including through biometric data,” the Foreign Ministry wrote in a statement on Tuesday.
The ministry added that another victim, identified only as MH, who had been in a critical condition has improved and he is no longer in intensive care. The ministry has kept his family in Aceh informed about his progress.
The other two Indonesians injured in the incident, identified only as HA and MZ from Riau, have fully recovered from their injuries. The Foreign Ministry said that they were still in Malaysia to undergo further questioning by the Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM), although it did not specify whether they had been taken into police custody.
Read also: Malaysia to fully investigate shooting of Indonesian migrants, ministry says
On Jan. 24, a group of Indonesians tried to leave the country illegally through the waters off Tanjung Rhu Beach in Selangor. APMM personnel discovered them and opened fire, killing one man instantly and injuring four others.
The remains of the victim killed in the incident, identified as Basri, were returned to Indonesia last week. The body was buried in his hometown on Rupat Island, Riau, after landing in the provincial capital of Pekanbaru on Jan. 29.
During an interview with representatives from the Indonesian Embassy regarding their accounts of the incident, the injured victims denied reports suggesting that they had clashed with the APMM personnel. They also denied putting up a fight or threatening the Malaysian personnel using sharp weapons.
Indonesia has called for a thorough investigation into the incident to determine whether the APMM used excessive force against the Indonesians, whom embassy authorities suspect may have been victims of human trafficking.
The PDRM responded to the call, agreeing to open a “comprehensive, fast and transparent” investigation into the shooting, according to the Indonesian Foreign Ministry.
“Investigators with the Selangor Police are investigating three charges in relation to the APMM personnel in the incident, including a charge pertaining to alleged misuse of firearms under the 1960 Arms Act,” the ministry said.
The ministry added that it had received information that the APMM had relieved the personnel involved in the incident from their duties, while stating their willingness to cooperate with the PDRM in the investigation process.
Read also: Rights group urges Prabowo to be firm with Malaysia over migrant deaths
As part of the investigation, the Malaysian Police had arrested an Indonesian national in Malaysia on Feb. 1 for allegedly entering Malaysia using a tourist visa, although their role in the incident remains unclear.
The Indonesian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur sent a diplomatic note to the Malaysian authorities requesting an explanation of the arrest and the opening of consular access for the arrested individual.
“Our police attache has been communicating with the Selangor Police chief and they said [on Tuesday] that they would open consular access for our officials soon,” the ministry wrote in the statement.
The shooting incident was on the agenda during President Prabowo Subianto’s visit to Malaysia on Jan. 27, when he met with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim in Kuala Lumpur.
He reiterated the request for Malaysian authorities to thoroughly investigate the incident after attending a leadership meeting of the Indonesian Military (TNI) and National Police in Jakarta on Jan. 30, while urging Indonesian nationals abroad to not get involved in illegal activities or to fall victim to human trafficking schemes. (