NEPAL has pledged full cooperation to Malaysia in efforts to locate 54 Malaysians still unaccounted for following devastating floods in the country on Aug 26, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said today.
Anwar said his Nepalese counterpart, Balendra Shah, gave the assurance during their recent discussions and agreed to facilitate efforts to establish the whereabouts of those still missing.
“I have spoken with the Prime Minister of Nepal and he is prepared to provide all cooperation. We have also asked the Attorney General to take follow-up action.
“They have their laws and we have ours. The applicable period is six or seven years, while theirs is three years.
“However, we can still apply to the court, and he (Balendra) informed me that he would provide all the necessary cooperation to facilitate the process so that families can receive an outcome as soon as possible,” he told reporters after inspecting Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) quarters in Sungai Besi in Kuala Lumpur today.
The development comes after one of the 55 Malaysians initially reported missing following the disaster was found safe and returned to Malaysia this morning.
A group representing the families of the 55 Malaysians said it had received information from Wisma Putra confirming the man's discovery.
The man reportedly arrived at the Malaysian Embassy in Kathmandu yesterday after losing contact with his family and becoming stranded in Nagthali.
According to Malaysia Solidarity: Families in Hope (MASFIH), he had been travelling alone in Nepal and was in Nagthali on Aug 25, a day before the floods struck.
He was stranded in the area for some time after losing communications and access to damaged infrastructure before eventually managing to leave and make his way to the Malaysian Embassy.
His safe return has reduced the number of Malaysians whose whereabouts remain unknown from 55 to 54. - October 2, 2026
