Eighteen people were reported missing at sea on Saturday when their boat disappeared near the Malaysian holiday island of Langkawi, officials said.

The coast guard said the boat, believed to be carrying 14 anglers and four crew, went missing some 9.4 nautical miles west of the Beras Basah island next to Langkawi.

Senior coast guard official Mohamad Zawawi Abdullah said the boat's owner reported the disappearance this afternoon, triggering the search.

"(The coast guard) is still carrying out the operation to search for those missing," he told AFP.

A coast guard statement said objects including fish barrels, biscuit tins and corks believed to be from the boat were found nearly five nautical miles southwest from the boat's last known location.

Rescuers and local fishermen were now looking for the missing in a 10-nautical mile area, with the search expected to continue overnight.

Small boats capsize frequently Malaysia's western coast due to strong waves and bad weather.

Malaysia's meteorological department warned over the weekend of heavy and continuous rain in the country's northern states.