Home minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said negotiations to bring them back are ongoing.

“I have been informed by Eastern Sabah Security Command commander Victor Sanjos about the incident, and we are now working to bring back the detained Malaysians.

“We hope for a positive result soon. We are also identifying and contacting the tour company that managed them, because the incident occurred when the boat carrying passengers went out of Malaysian waters,” he said.

On Sunday, Philippine authorities detained 15 people, comprising the seven Malaysians and eight Chinese nationals, for illegally entering the country’s waters.

Philippine Immigration Bureau commissioner Norman Tansingco said in a statement they were detained in the waters of Sitangkai in the southern region of the country, after entering Philippine territory on two speedboats without valid travel documents.

Saifuddin also said cross-border crime trends, especially those related to human trafficking, have seen increasing Malaysian involvement.