A Cambodian man was rescued from the ocean off Malaysia’s coast after he jumped overboard from the fishing boat that he claims to have worked on for four years without pay, according to a letter from the Cambodian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur obtained Sunday.
The letter, which is dated Thursday and signed by Norodom Arunrasmy, Cambodia’s ambassador to Malaysia, says that 34-year-old Chhoeun Chheang was pulled from the ocean by the MT Nave Universe oil tanker near Malaysia’s maritime border with Singapore.
“The fisherman named Chhoeun Chheang, 34, had worked on the Thai fishing boat for four years without getting any salary at all,” the letter says.
“After having a quarrel with the Thais on the boat, he jumped into the ocean. He had no documents.”
The embassy in Kuala Lumpur provided Mr. Chheang with a temporary travel document and $100 to return to Cambodia, the letter says.
Maritime Network, the Malaysian firm that owns the oil tanker, also agreed to pay for Mr. Chheang’s flights, it says.
