7,000 could be languishing at sea, according to govt estimates

Malaysia and Indonesia said on Wednesday they would no longer turn away migrant vessels, responding to world pressure by offering to take in a wave of boat people provided that they could be resettled or repatriated within a year.

The two nations, along with Thailand, have sparked outrage by preventing vessels overloaded with starving migrants from Bangladesh and Myanmar's ethnic Rohingya minority from landing on their shores.