KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 2 – Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced on Friday, October 2, 2026, that Nepalese Prime Minister Balendra Shah has committed to providing full cooperation to help verify the legal status of 54 Malaysian citizens who remain missing following a devastating natural disaster in Nepal.

Speaking to reporters after performing Friday prayers at the Abdullah bin Zubair Mosque at the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) Base in Sungai Besi, Anwar shared details of a recent direct discussion with his Nepalese counterpart regarding the status of the affected families.

Harmonizing Legal Timelines and Legal Support

Anwar noted that variations in statutory requirements between the two nations regarding missing persons necessitate close legal coordination.

Key highlights from the Prime Minister’s statement include:

Legal Discrepancies: Malaysian law generally specifies a period of six to seven years before a missing individual can be declared legally deceased, whereas Nepal’s legal framework allows for a three-year timeframe.
Court Applications: Despite statutory differences, Malaysia intends to work within judicial channels to expedite the verification process for affected families.
Attorney-General Instruction: Anwar has directed Attorney-General Tan Sri Mohd Dusuki Mokhtar to initiate immediate bilateral discussions with Nepalese legal authorities to streamline the process.

“Balendra Shah has assured me that he will provide all necessary cooperation to facilitate (the process) so that the families can get the results as soon as possible,” Anwar stated.

Background on the Disaster

The 54 missing Malaysians were unaccounted for following a major flood and debris flow tragedy on August 26, 2026.

The disaster was triggered by a massive collapse of glacial ice and rock in the upper catchment area of the Lhende Khola in Tibet, resulting in downstream flooding that has claimed 1,451 lives to date.

–NMT

Tags: Anwar Ibrahim Nepal Flood