Pekan police chief Zaidi Mat Zin said the object was found by local residents at around 5pm and was subsequently reported to the science, technology and innovation ministry.

“Initial investigations indicate that the debris is believed to have fallen from outer space into the sea and was later carried ashore by currents to the coastal area in Nenasi,” he said in a statement.

He said the object, measuring 4.26m by 3.64m, had been tested and examined by officers from the atomic energy department yesterday and was found to be free of radiation.

For safety reasons, the object has been moved to the Nenasi police station for temporary storage while further investigations are conducted by the relevant ministries.

Bernama’s checks at the station found that police lines had been set up around the object.

The debris, believed to weigh several hundred kilogrammes, was covered in barnacles, with some surfaces peeled off and damaged.