Malaysia’s Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has reaffirmed his commitment to work closely with Nepal’s government to address the status of Malaysians reported missing following recent catastrophic floods in Nepal. Anwar said Nepalese Prime Minister Balendra Shah has pledged full cooperation to assist in verifying the fate of those still unaccounted for after the disaster.
The devastating flash floods, which struck near the Nepal-China border on August 26, have claimed over 1,400 lives, with many more remaining missing. Families of missing Malaysians have expressed frustration over continued uncertainty regarding their loved ones and have called on the Malaysian government for urgent intervention. Despite prior meetings involving the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Wisma Putra) and other agencies, questions remain unanswered, prompting the families to seek direct engagement with the Prime Minister.
Anwar stated that legal efforts are underway to facilitate closure for these families. He explained that Malaysia requires a seven-year period before a declaration of presumed death can be granted, while Nepalese law sets this period at three years. Nonetheless, Malaysian authorities are prepared to petition the courts to expedite the process where possible. “He assured me that he will cooperate fully to facilitate the process so that the families can obtain the results as soon as possible,” Anwar said.
In conjunction with these developments, Anwar also toured the former Royal Malaysian Air Force (TUDM) staff quarters in Sungai Besi, which is slated for refurbishment. The Prime Minister emphasized the need to accelerate the project to prepare the area for future housing purposes. Discussions were held with key stakeholders, including Tan Sri Mohd Hassan Marican, chairman of the Sungai Besi land steering committee, Kuala Lumpur City Hall, and Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) Hannah Yeoh.
The redevelopment aligns with broader government plans to transform the 20.23-hectare Malay reserve land in Bandar Malaysia into an international business hub. The project, managed by KLCC Development Sdn Bhd, involves refurbishing two apartment blocks comprising 160 units in total, with work already underway following land clearing. According to Wan Shamilah Wan Muhammad Saidi, head of the developer, the refurbishment phase is progressing according to schedule with the goal of enabling occupancy by 2027.