KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia has called off its search for missing migrants 11 days after their boat capsized off the Thai-Malaysian border.

According to MalayMail, authorities said 36 bodies have been recovered since the incident, which happened on November 6 near Thailand’s Tarutao Island as the group attempted to reach Malaysia.

Officials believe the vessel was carrying around 70 undocumented migrants, mostly Rohingya fleeing Myanmar’s long-standing persecution.

“The search-and-rescue operation will be called off at 6.30pm today (Monday).

“We have examined all factors, including the size of the area, assets deployment, duration of the operation and information about the incident.

“However, if there are any new leads or indications, we will reassess and reactivate the operation to search for the remaining missing victims,” said Zainudin Mohd Zuki, deputy operations director of the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) for Kedah and Perlis.

Malaysian teams have recovered 29 bodies, while Thai search teams found seven more in recent days.

“As of Monday, the Malaysian and Thai authorities found 36 bodies, cumulatively,” said MMEA Kedah and Perlis director Romli Mustafa.

The 14 survivors, mostly Rohingya and Bangladeshis, were all found in Malaysian waters since the search began on November 8.

The joint search involved at least 19 vessels and more than 300 personnel covering an area of about 1,750 square nautical miles, which is roughly eight times the size of Singapore.

Officials say the passengers were likely part of a larger group of around 300 people who left Myanmar two weeks earlier on at least two separate boats.

Malaysian police have reported that the second vessel is now missing.

Malaysia hosts millions of migrant workers from poorer countries in Asia, many of whom work without legal documents in sectors such as agriculture and construction.

Authorities say sea journeys arranged by trafficking networks are extremely dangerous and often lead to overcrowded boats sinking.

The Rohingya have long faced persecution in Myanmar, pushing thousands to escape each year using unsafe boats as they flee conflict and repression.

The UN Refugee Agency and International Organisation for Migration said last week that more than 5,300 Rohingya travelled by sea from Bangladesh and Myanmar between January and early November, with over 600 dead or missing.