Three tourists have died after their boat sank off the coast of Malaysia.

Four Chinese tourists and one Malaysian crew member remain missing after the catamaran got into difficulties in rough seas on Sunday.

Twenty two people were rescued after emergency crews were alerted when the boat failed to arrive at Mengalum island, a popular tourist destination.

The catamaran departed Kota Kinabalu, the capital of Sabah in Malaysian Borneo on Saturday morning.

Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency director-general Ahmad Puzi Ab Kahar said: "According to the skipper, the boat was 'broken' after being hit by strong waves, and sank. All the tourists were tied together and were carried away by the currents."

Malaysia's national security minister Shahidan Kassim told a press conference: "The weather conditions were quite bad with very high waves,which raises the question as to whether the boat should have gone out to sea."

Shahidan said authorities would continue to search through the night for those still missing.

The Malaysian navy, maritime police and air force were involved in the search, which covered 400 nautical miles.

The search had been hampered by strong winds and choppy waters, officials said.