A 20-year-old Acehnese arrived at Northport in Klang, Malasia today on board a South African vessel after being rescued on January 3, nine days after the tsunami struck.

Construction worker Rizal Shahputra had clung on to a floating tree trunk and survived on coconuts and floating food packets.

The slightly injured Rizal said he used a door knob to break open the coconuts.

He was spotted by the crew of a container vessel in the Indian Ocean 100 miles from the shores of Aceh province.

He also said he was with another Acehnese who went missing after a "few days."

He was the second person to be found alive at sea by Malaysian ships, days after the disaster.