Nepal has pledged full cooperation to help verify the status of 54 Malaysians who remain unaccounted for following devastating floods and debris flows in the country, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said.
According to Bernama, Anwar said Nepal Prime Minister Balendra Shah gave the assurance during a recent telephone conversation between the two leaders, with the Nepalese government prepared to facilitate the process so families can obtain information as soon as possible.
Anwar has instructed Attorney-General Tan Sri Mohd Dusuki Mokhtar to hold further discussions with Nepalese authorities on the matter.
The process is complicated by differences in the two countries’ laws governing the legal status of missing persons.
“They have their own laws, while our laws stipulate a period of six to seven years regarding the legal status of Malaysian citizens who remain missing. In Nepal, the period is three years, but we can still make an application to the court.
“Balendra Shah assured me that he would provide all the necessary cooperation to facilitate the process so that the families concerned can obtain information as soon as possible,” he said.
The floods and debris flows on Aug 26, triggered by glacial ice and rock collapses in the upper catchment of the Lhende Khola in Tibet, have killed 1,451 people, according to the latest figures cited by Anwar.
Around 5,700 people, including more than 600 foreign nationals, are still reported missing.
Anwar was speaking to reporters after inspecting the Royal Malaysian Air Force quarters in Sungai Besi today.
