Anwar Raises Fate of 55 Missing Malaysians in Call With Nepalese Prime Minister

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 22 – Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim raised the plight of 55 Malaysians who remain unaccounted for following last month’s devastating floods in Nepal during a telephone conversation with Nepalese Prime Minister Balendra Shah.

The diplomatic exchange took place prior to Anwar’s departure for a three-day official working visit to China.

In a statement posted on his official social media channel, Anwar noted that he conveyed the profound concern of the families awaiting news of their loved ones and proposed establishing formal mechanisms should search efforts fail to deliver immediate resolution.

“This is important to help the affected families deal with legal, financial and administrative matters,” Anwar said, adding that he will send an official letter to Prime Minister Shah detailing the proposal.

Prime Minister Shah described conditions in the affected regions as exceptionally severe, likening the destruction caused by the deluge to a tsunami. Despite the challenging terrain and operational obstacles, the Nepalese leader assured Anwar that search and rescue operations would persist.

“I hope every effort being undertaken will yield results and provide the certainty that is so desperately awaited, particularly by the families of all 55 Malaysians who remain unaccounted for,” Anwar added.

Anwar also expressed gratitude to the Nepalese government, local authorities, and disaster relief personnel for their ongoing operations to locate the missing foreign nationals, including the Malaysian citizens.

International news agencies report that more than 1,400 people have died as a result of the disaster in Nepal, with over 6,000 individuals still listed as missing.

–NMT