THE family of Malaysian climber Muhammad Muhaimin Azhad Noor Hadi has urged authorities to keep searching for him after Malaysia’s Special Malaysia Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (SMART) returned from Nepal, saying they remain without clear information about his fate.
Muhaimin, 27, has remained uncontactable since he was reported missing in Nepal on July 26. Two of his friends, Muhammad Zaki Othman, 29, and Muhammad Adib Haikal Awang Mansor, 27, are also among the Malaysians uncontactable following the floods and landslides.
Muhaimin’s sister-in-law, who wished to be known as Fina, said the family had received no clear update on the search as of yesterday, the 20th day since he went missing.
“We feel very disappointed because none of the 55 missing Malaysians have been found. Then the SMART team returned just like that.
“With no updates from Nepal, our family has been left waiting,” she told Kosmo! on Sunday.
Fina urged authorities to continue the search and expand it to villages and other areas where the Malaysians could potentially be found.
“If possible, we want the SAR operation to continue. Let the team stay there and search in villages or any other possible locations,” she said, adding, the family wanted certainty about Muhaimin’s fate.
“As long as we do not know what his status is now, we will continue to wait for him to come home. If he is no longer alive, we accept it, but we only hope that his body can be found. That is all we hope for,” she added.
The family’s plea came as Wisma Putra stressed that SMART’s return did not mean efforts to establish the status of the 55 Malaysians who remain uncontactable in Nepal and China had ended.
The Foreign Ministry said SMART returned to Malaysia today after conducting searches in areas of Nepal that could be accessed safely and with permission from the local authorities.
“SMART will brief the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Putrajaya on its deployment and information obtained throughout the field operation,” it said in a statement on Monday.
“Throughout its deployment, SMART carried out searches in areas that could be accessed safely and with the permission of the Nepalese authorities, including ground searches and aerial reconnaissance using drones.”
Wisma Putra said the end of SMART’s field deployment did not change the current status of the affected Malaysians.
“The Ministry together with relevant Malaysian agencies will assess information obtained by SMART and the latest developments received from Nepal to determine appropriate follow-up action,” it said.
Nepalese authorities are continuing search, verification and identification efforts following the disaster, based on the latest information received by Malaysia.
As part of its support for Nepal’s disaster response, SMART also provided drone-handling training to Nepalese rescuers and handed over nine drones to the Nepalese Government through the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA).
The Malaysian Embassy in Kathmandu will continue obtaining information directly from NDRRMA and other relevant authorities, while checking with hospitals and related agencies.
The embassy will also conduct follow-up checks or visits if security conditions permit and approval is obtained from the Nepalese authorities.
In China, the Malaysian Embassy in Beijing will continue liaising with relevant authorities for updates on affected Malaysians and any information that could help establish their status.
Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan had earlier said SMART’s return followed an assessment that its operation in Nepal was nearing its end, with little more the team could do on the ground. - September 14, 2026
