Wisma Putra: Nepal weighs legal measures for those still unaccounted for after Aug 26 floods, including 55 Malaysians

In Malaysia, the families of 55 Malaysians still missing after the disaster in Nepal are enduring a seven-year wait before they can request a declaration of death, leaving them in a prolonged legal and financial predicament. Malaysia Solidarity: Families in Hope (MASFIH) spokesperson Dr Manivannan Rethinam revealed that the National Registration Department requires the Nepalese government's declaration, followed by a statement from the Nepalese embassy, before the heir can ask for a declaration of death.

Additionally, the heir can only seek this declaration after seven years, provided a police report has been filed. Dr Manivannan expressed the severe financial consequences this seven-year wait could have, warning that heirs might already be facing financial trouble for a month or two, with the possibility of losing their homes and cars within six years.

The families are urging the government to explore an exceptional legal mechanism due to the scale of the disaster, which saw thousands of people missing or dead. Dr Manivannan stated that the families are ready to pursue the matter collectively through the courts but require documentation from Nepal. He called for urgent assistance from the government, hoping for intervention from a higher authority, such as the prime minister.