The other six, however, are still missing. They include five passengers and a crew member, AFP said.
Two of the boat’s crew members were found at 2pm in waters between Pulau Tiga and the Samarang offshore petroleum platform.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Shahidan Kassim said five of the 23 people rescued were found by a tug boat and the other 18 by fishermen.
All were found between 4pm and 5pm today.
“They are now on their way from Pulau Tiga to Labuan,” he told a press conference at the Sandakan airport in Sabah.
Accompanying him was Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) director Ahmad Puzi Ab Kahar.
According to Shahidan, the search and rescue mission will continue until the other six are found.
“I was informed by the prime minister’s office that we will use an aircraft that can continue the search even at night.
“And I have asked MMEA to take a Bombardier and helicopters that can also look for the remaining victims tonight.”
The white catamaran, with 28 passengers from China and three crew members, left Tanjung Aru in Kota Kinabalu for Pulau Mengalum at 9am yesterday, the first day of Chinese New Year.
The island is known for its pristine beaches and dive sites.
The boat owner reported it missing yesterday evening.
The boat reportedly sank due to rough waters. According to the skipper, the boat was “broken” after being hit by waves and sank, AFP said.
When asked how many of the Chinese passengers were rescued, Shahidan said the authorities did not have the breakdown at the moment.
Shahidan said the authorities will investigate whether the missing boat was capable of ferrying 31 people.
“We will release a full report on that. The most important thing right now is that we pray that everyone will be found,” he said.
Puzi said the search for the missing six was concentrated in the waters near Semarang. He was grateful that the passengers were using safety vests and had stuck together despite the rough sea.
Xinhua news agency reported that Chinese President Xi Jinping demanded all-out search and rescue efforts for the missing Chinese onboard the boat.
He asked the foreign affairs ministry and the Chinese embassy in Malaysia to maintain close contact and cooperation with authorities in Malaysia.
He said China’s transport and tourism authorities would activate emergency measures immediately to assist in the rescue.