Meranti Islands police chief Aldi Alfa Faroqi said the victim is believed to have died some time before the discovery of his body at 11am last Friday by a local resident.

He said police were still determining whether any criminal elements were involved.

“Anyone with information that could assist the investigation or related administrative procedures is encouraged to come forward,” the Jakarta Post reported him as saying.

Ardath, head of the emergency and logistics division at the Meranti Islands disaster mitigation agency, said the victim was not carrying identification and was initially believed to be a local resident.

“Several days later, a person claiming to be a family member contacted the agency, providing photographs and identification documents,” he said.

The body is believed to be that of Teh Kok Keong, a 33-year-old man employed by Singapore-based bus operator Tower Transit.

Prima Herrie, head of the Meranti Islands search-and-rescue readiness unit, said the victim was found wearing a jacket with the Tower Transit logo, while other physical characteristics and evidence matched descriptions provided by the family and Malaysian authorities.

He said Malaysian authorities had been searching for Teh since his family reported him missing on Dec 28.

The Jakarta Post cited Malaysian officials as saying Teh was believed to have fallen from the Second Link.

The Johor Bahru maritime rescue sub-centre launched a search operation in nearby waters, but was hampered by adverse weather. Search-and-rescue agencies in neighbouring countries were subsequently alerted.

Prima said the body had likely drifted in the Strait of Malacca before being found in Pulau Rangsang, about 25 to 35 nautical miles away from Johor Bahru.

Teh’s family arrived on Tuesday to retrieve his body, and plans to transport the remains to Pekanbaru for cremation.