A resident hilariously reprimanded a wild monkey that he rescued from drowning in Malaysia.

The local tour guide was paddling his boat in Tasik Kenyir Lake when he spotted the primate floating in the middle of the water in Terengganu, Malaysia on July 5.

He stopped the vessel to give the animal a ride back to the island and had strong words with the animal - castigating it for getting into the dangerous situation in the water.

Footage shows the resident pulling the monkey back to the boat when it tried to jump off. He put it onto the bow where it sat on the edge.

He said in the video: ‘Why are you swimming in the lake again? Come back here.

‘Please sit quietly in the boat and we will return to shore.'

When they reached land, the monkey hopped away and left him, to which he said: ‘Wow, you did not even bother to say thank you.'

Malaysia is home to ten species of wild monkeys, divided into two main categories - langurs and macaques. They are found throughout the country including rainforests, mangrove forests, and even some urban areas.