Nepal seeks legal changes to expedite death certificates for 54 missing Malaysians

Nepal is proposing legal reforms to speed up the process of issuing death certificates for 54 Malaysians still missing after floods and landslides in August. The current law mandates a waiting period of up to three years for such certificates. The Nepali Foreign Minister, Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan, disclosed this during a meeting with embassy representatives last week.

Nepal aims to present the amendments to Parliament if unsuccessful in obtaining a special arrangement for expediting the issuance of the certificates. The Malaysians' families require these documents to handle matters such as transactions with banks and insurance companies.

Heavy rains in Rasuwa district and the Nepal-Tibet border led to flash floods and landslides on August 26, causing significant infrastructure damage and complicating search and rescue operations. A Malaysian who was unreachable following the disaster returned home safely on October 2, reducing the number of Malaysians unaccounted for to 54.

Meanwhile, Malaysia is seeking assistance from Indonesia's National Disaster Management Agency and National Security Council to combat forest fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan. Visibility is below 50 meters and the Air Pollutant Index in Kalimantan has reached 1,000, making it challenging to extinguish the fires. Malaysia will evaluate the risks before deciding on air support and will not send pilots if conditions compromise their safety.

Regarding the current situations in Italy and France, Malaysia advises its citizens to avoid demonstrations and areas with rioting, though there are no travel restrictions in either country.