Anwar secures fast-track process for missing Malaysians in Nepal

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 2 — Malaysia's Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has revealed that Nepalese Prime Minister Balendra Shah has pledged full cooperation to ascertain the fate of 54 Malaysians still missing after recent floods and landslides in Nepal. This assurance came after one of the 55 Malaysians previously reported missing was found safe and reached out to the Malaysian Embassy in Kathmandu, according to family members and official updates.

During a phone call, Shah agreed to expedite administrative and legal measures to help families obtain closure quickly. Under existing Nepalese law, the process to issue a death certificate for missing persons normally takes three years, whereas Malaysian law mandates a six or seven-year wait. In response, Nepalese authorities have agreed to support quicker court applications.

Dr. Manivannan Rethinam, spokesperson for Malaysia Solidarity: Families in Hope (MASFIH), confirmed that the Foreign Ministry has informed them of the located citizen who has since returned to Malaysia. Families of the remaining 55 Malaysians still missing in Nepal had turned to Anwar for assistance to expedite a declaration of death, as they were concerned about the prolonged legal and financial uncertainty caused by the current seven-year procedure.