Kota Belud police chief Shahrudin Mat Husain said there have been no signs of the two Chinese nationals after a 95-member search and rescue team combed a large radius around the island since last Sunday, Harian Metro reported.

“The high waves and poor weather have affected our search. While the operations have been halted, we remain on high alert,” Shahrudin was quoted as saying.

He urged tourist boats and fishermen to keep a close watch on the north to west coasts for any sighting of the pair.

On Oct 5, Yu Xiapeng, 25, and Fan Qin, 28, were reported missing while staying at the Sutera Mantanani Resort on Mantanani Island.

They had checked into the resort at 2.14pm on Oct 4 but failed to check out as scheduled the following day.

The resort’s security team lodged a police report at 7.57pm on Sunday after both tourists could not be located.

Yu was last seen wearing a long-sleeved shirt and black trousers, while the female tourist was wearing a short-sleeved top and black shorts.