THE Foreign Ministry, through the Malaysian Consulate General in Medan, is continuing to closely monitor developments and coordinate response efforts following the flood and landslide disasters that have struck West Sumatra, North Sumatra and Aceh in Indonesia.
Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said that as of yesterday, seven Malaysians were identified as having been stranded by the flooding, with six safely returning home while one individual remains missing.
“The search for the missing victim, Asrul Nizam Apridwson, has now entered its 23rd day, and there has been no latest update from the Indonesian authorities,” he told reporters after attending the Khatan Perdana programme at Taman Pinggiran Senawang near Seremban today.
Mohamad said Malaysian authorities remain in contact with their Indonesian counterparts as search and rescue efforts continue, while consular officials on the ground are closely tracking developments.
Turning to the situation involving Malaysian students, he said that as of December 16, Education Malaysia in Jakarta reported a total of 49 Malaysian students in Aceh. Of that number, 25 have returned safely to Malaysia, while 24 remain in the affected area.
“Our students in Aceh are safe, and the Higher Education Ministry has also extended financial assistance of RM500 to affected Malaysian students in Indonesia,” he said.
Mohamad also cited figures released by Indonesia’s National Agency for Disaster Management, or BNPB, which reported that the disasters have claimed 1,071 lives so far.
As of yesterday, 185 people were still reported missing, while more than 525,868 residents had been displaced and were sheltering in temporary relief centres.
He added that Indonesian authorities have estimated the total cost of recovery and reconstruction efforts across the three affected provinces to exceed RM12.7 million, or 51.82 trillion rupiah, underscoring the scale of the humanitarian and rebuilding challenge facing the country.
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Bung’s Final Message
Separately, one of the final messages conveyed by Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin was a request that his son be given the opportunity to continue serving the constituency should anything happen to him.
UMNO deputy president and Barisan Nasional (BN) deputy chairman Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said the message had been conveyed by the late Bung Moktar to UMNO president and BN chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
“The late Bung Moktar had exposed his son to grassroots party work from an early stage, including managing parliamentary affairs when he was in Kuala Lumpur attending Parliament sittings.
“During that period, Naim frequently carried out duties in the constituency and became a key mobiliser. As such, he is no stranger to the voters of Kinabatangan,” he told reporters after officiating the Khatan Perdana Programme at Taman Pinggiran Senawang here today.
Yesterday, Ahmad Zahid announced Naim Kurniawan as the BN candidate for the Kinabatangan parliamentary by-election, which is scheduled to be held on January 24.
Mohamad, who is also Foreign Minister and the Member of Parliament for Rembau, said the selection of Naim Kurniawan would give BN an advantage in retaining the seat.
“We want continuity in the party’s grassroots work. Giving the late leader’s son the opportunity is a mark of respect for Bung Moktar’s service to the party and the people of Kinabatangan.
“At the same time, we are bringing forward a younger candidate who is already familiar with the workings on the ground.
“The Kinabatangan parliamentary constituency is as large as the state of Pahang, so we need a candidate who understands the terrain and has the energy to serve,” he said.
The Election Commission has set polling day for the Kinabatangan parliamentary and Lamag state by-elections on January 24, 2026, with nomination day and early voting scheduled for January 10 and January 20 respectively. - December 20, 2025
