Two vessels and a C130 aircraft have been mobilised in the search for the catamaran that went missing in the waters off Sabah yesterday.

RMN chief Admiral Tan Sri Ahmad Kamarulzaman Ahmad Badaruddin said the two vessels were deployed to find the catamaran reported missing with 28 tourists from China and three crew, were KD Ganas and KD Serang.

"These vessels were dispatched to the search location since last night, together with a C130 aircraft owned by the RMAF. Both vessels will be involved in the search for the missing boat (and its passengers) involving an area of about 400 square nautical miles," he told Bernama here today.

The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) in a statement today said the catamaran was reported missing after it left the Tanjung Aru jetty here at 9am for Pulau Mangalum, about 56 kilometres northwest of Kota Kinabalu. -- BERNAMA