KLANG: A Bangladeshi man identified as Mahmud, 31, said he was willing to risk a dangerous sea crossing to marry the woman he loved after being detained in a maritime operation off Selangor. Speaking to the press, Mahmud said he married his wife in December but was forced to use an illegal route as it was difficult for Bangladeshi nationals to obtain an Indonesian visa. Mahmud said his wife and her parents had pressured him to formalise the marriage. Mahmud works at a food manufacturing factory in Johor Bahru and had taken one month of leave to travel. Mahmud was among those arrested after the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) intercepted a boat off Sabak Bernam early Friday (Jan 31).

Source: The Star January 31, 2026 04:05 UTC