Every hour is precious, say families of Malaysians missing in Nepal

Malaysians affected by the disaster in Nepal-Tibet are pleading for every hour to be treated with urgency, says R Manivannan, a spokesperson for Malaysia Solidarity: Families in Hope (Masfih). The families of the missing Malaysians, who are parents, siblings, spouses, and children, are growing increasingly desperate as the whereabouts of their loved ones remain unknown.

R Manivannan, whose brother is among those unaccounted for, expressed the families' frustration in a press conference at Batu Caves today, emphasizing that every second without verified information only exacerbates their suffering and anxiety. The families have made five requests to the Malaysian government, specifically to Wisma Putra and the Malaysian embassies in Kathmandu and Beijing, demanding daily updates on search and rescue operations and developments from the Nepali and Chinese authorities.

They seek special liaison officers in Kathmandu and Beijing to communicate directly with their representatives, ensuring consistent information dissemination to all affected families. The families also urged the government to utilize diplomatic channels to grant immediate permission for a Malaysian SAR team to assist in the search.

R Manivannan highlighted the urgent need for a comprehensive search, leaving no potential area unchecked, and leveraging every diplomatic channel available. The disaster, which struck the Nepal-Tibet border area on Aug 26, has claimed at least 626 lives in Nepal, with thousands more reported missing. Wisma Putra has confirmed 55 Malaysians remain uncontactable, while two individuals previously reported missing have since been located.

The families expressed concern over the lack of information from the Chinese side, as some of the missing Malaysians might have been stranded in Tibet after crossing the border from Nepal. These Malaysians had traveled to Nepal for trekking and religious activities, including Hindu pilgrimages, organized by three different tour agencies.