Malaysia seeks Nepal’s nod to deploy SMART team for flood SAR mission, says Tok Mat

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 31 — Malaysia has reached out to Nepal's government to deploy the Special Malaysia Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (SMART) for search and rescue (SAR) operations following severe floods in Nepal. This was communicated by Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan during a phone call with his Nepalese counterpart, Shisir Khanal, on Monday.

The conversation centered on the latest SAR developments, particularly locating Malaysians who remain unreachable following the recent floods and landslides. Mohamad shared his gratitude towards Nepal for the assistance and cooperation extended to Malaysia's Embassy in Kathmandu during the crisis. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced on Sunday that the Madani Government has chosen to send the SMART Team to Nepal to aid in SAR efforts, locate affected Malaysians, and coordinate aid for the Embassy of Malaysia in Nepal.

Malaysia plans to contribute $1 million (RM4.02 million) to Nepal's disaster recovery efforts. As of now, 55 Malaysian nationals are still untraceable since flash floods and landslides struck on August 26. The death toll from the disaster has climbed to at least 919, with nearly 4,800 people missing, including 853 foreign nationals.

SAR operations are still underway six days after the disaster, with authorities also aiding stranded workers at hydroelectric projects.