He said the search and rescue team could not use their boats and had to do an airlift.

Police discovered the body at 10.30am on information from the public. It was found about a kilometre from where the body of the first victim, federal deputy minister Noriah Kasnon, was found on Friday, he told a press conference here today.

He said the body was retrieved at noon and brought to the SAR team’s command and control base in Lingga before being airlifted to the Kuching police headquarters for transfer to the Sarawak General Hospital here.

A second body was found earlier this morning and has yet to be identified.

Noriah’s remains were flown to Kuala Lumpur last night and laid to rest at the Batu 12 Sungai Burong Muslim cemetery today.

Noriah was travelling with her husband Asmuni Abdullah, Kuala Kangsar MP and Malaysian Palm Oil Board member Wan Mohammad Khair-il Anuar Wan Ahmad, ministry secretary-general Sundaran Annamalai, her bodyguard Ahmad Sobri Harun and the pilot Captain Rudolf Rex Ragas.

The helicopter took off from Betong enroute to Kuching at 4.12pm on Thursday but lost contact with the control tower three minutes later.

– BERNAMA