MERSING - Following the discovery of the body of 57-year-old Madam Puah Geok Tin - one of the two Singaporean kayakers who went missing last Thursday (Aug 8) - the search for Mr Tan Eng Soon continued into its seventh day.

The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency said in a statement on Thursday (Aug 15) that one ship and two other boats are scouring an area covering 500 square nautical miles.

The search is being conducted around the Kuala Kemaman coast and involves 32 personnel.

"Residents of the area will also provide information if there are any discoveries, as a notice has been made," the agency added.

"Locals and fishermen are also assisting in the search of islands around Kemaman, starting from Kuantan to Kerteh, Terengganu."

Madam Puah's body was found on Wednesday by a fisherman off the coast of Kemaman, Terengganu, some 185km away from where the two kayakers were last seen.

The pair was part of a group of 15 on a five-day expedition to the Endau islands in Mersing over Singapore's National Day long weekend, when they were separated from the rest of the group in choppy waters.