Rafiqul Islam, one of the survivors, told AFP that smugglers had lured him onto the boat with the promise of a job in Malaysia.
“Many of us were kept in the holding area of the trawler, some died there. I was burnt by the oil spilled from the trawler,” said Rafiqul, 40. He said the ship had been sailing for four days before it capsized.
“We swam for about 36 hours before a ship rescued us from deep water.”
Relatively prosperous Malaysia is home to millions of immigrants from poorer parts of Asia, many of whom are undocumented working in industries including construction and agriculture.
But the sea routes facilitated by human trafficking syndicates are dangerous and often overloaded boats capsize.
The latest incident reflects “the serious consequences of protracted displacement and the absence of durable solutions for the Rohingya,” the UNHCR said.