The Sah Lian and its crew of 14 have been located about 25 nautical miles west of Tanjung Baram in northern Sarawak.

The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) said it found the ship at 15.50 local time on Thursday, about four nautical miles away from its last known position.

"The ship was reported to have a damaged gearbox and propeller crankshaft," MMEA Sarawak commander First Admiral (M) Ismaili Bujang Pit told local media.