Nine Days On, Families Of Missing Malaysians In Nepal Say Official Count May Not Tell The Full Story

Fifty-five Malaysians remain uncontactable in Nepal nine days after floods struck Rasuwa district – but families warn the true number could be higher, as some names do not appear in official records.

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In Brief

Families of missing Malaysians are demanding clearer answers on search and rescue efforts, including specific details on SMART team deployment.
Masfih flagged possible gaps in official missing persons count, with nine Malaysians not appearing in Nepal's records, suggesting true numbers may be higher.

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Nine days after flash floods and landslides struck Nepal’s Rasuwa district, families of missing Malaysians are pressing the government for clearer answers on search and rescue efforts.

Malaysia Solidarity: Families in Hope (Masfih), a support group formed by relatives of the missing, held a press conference on Wednesday (3 September) to demand specifics from the government.

Its spokesperson, Dr. Manivannan Rethinam, said families need to know exactly where and when Malaysian search and rescue teams will be deployed, not general updates.

Manivannan said the emotional toll has been especially hard on elderly relatives.

The government has offered psychosocial counselling, but he said Tamil-speaking counsellors are needed for family members who struggle to communicate in English or Bahasa Melayu.

Relying on translators, he said, could weaken the efficacy of the sessions.

His comments came after Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri said the government was ready to provide psychosocial support to affected families.

Malaysia Deploys SMART Team As Families Await News

Wisma Putra has said 55 Malaysians remain uncontactable in Nepal.

A separate 36 Malaysians were reported uncontactable in China, after floods and a mudslide disrupted travel and communications on the Tibet side of the border.

Malaysia’s Special Malaysia Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (SMART) is scheduled to depart for Nepal on Saturday (5 September), according to the National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA).

Manivannan said families want clarity on SMART’s objectives and what it can realistically achieve, given nine days have already passed.

He also called on Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to speak directly with Nepal’s Prime Minister Balendra Shah to expedite the deployment of Malaysian rescue and forensic teams, which he said could help identify Malaysian victims and give families more certainty.

Among the missing are members of “Team Loe” – named after expedition leader Mohd Fakhrul Munir Ismail, a Senior Fire Officer and member of Malaysia’s Special Air Rescue Team (PASKUB) – including Azman Karim, Mohd Padzil Daros, Mohd Sani Harul, Mohd Nohan Salim, Shabuddin Mun, Jason Ngeow, Muhamad Nasir Abdul Talib, Muhammad Haziq Ismail and their Nepali guide Ganesh Neupane, who were travelling together in two white Scorpio jeeps when the floods struck, with their last known location between Syabrubesi and Timure in Rasuwa district, according to a missing persons flyer circulating on social media.

Where Things Stand

There are also unaccounted missing persons from the initial disaster, including K. Balasingam, 71, who was on a religious trip to Mount Kailash when the flood hit.

His son, Mures, said the family has had no news despite contacting the Malaysian Embassy in Kathmandu, the police, and members of Balasingam’s travel group.

N. Kalaiselvi, 65, was also on a Kailash trip when she lost contact.

Her daughter, Kritikaa Joyce De Brito, has said the family knows the chances of finding her alive are slim, but wants her brought home regardless of her condition.

Three Malaysian climbers, Muhammad Muhaimin Azhad Noor Hadi, Muhammad Adib Haikal Awang Mansor, and Muhammad Zaki Othman, all in their late twenties, went missing in the Langtang Valley on the same day.

Their last known message was sent at 10.42am Malaysian time on 26 August, with their location last detected near Bhote Koshi.

Masfih has also flagged possible gaps in the official count.

The group said nine Malaysians it had identified through travel agency Dream Tibet Travels and Tours did not appear in Nepal’s official missing persons records as of late August, raising concerns the true number could be higher than reported.

The floods and landslides, triggered by the Bhote Koshi River overflowing in Rasuwa district on August 26, have killed hundreds in Nepal and left thousands more missing.