In a statement today, it said communication lapsed between the boat and another boat carrying a boarding team on Saturday.
It said one officer and eight personnel were on the boat which was conducting a routine maritime patrol to drive out foreign fishing boats from the area.
An initial search operation, “Ops Carilamat” was initially mounted but when this failed to locate the missing boat, the navy activated a search and rescue operation with the assistance of the Malaysian Armed Forces, Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency and Sedili Fishermen’s Association.
Assets being used in the operation include the KD Perdana, KD Perkasa, KD Pendekar, KD Handalan, KD Terengganu, KD Kelantan, a “Pengalang 39” boat, a “Kilat 16” boat, a Super Lynx helicopter and a Fennec aircraft, it said.
The navy said a Carilamat operations room had been set up at its base in Tanjung Gelang, Kuantan.
“We believe the boat and boarding team are taking shelter at a shore nearby or in fishermen’s boats in Sedili waters,” it said.