Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has sought assistance from Nepal in locating 55 Malaysians who remain unaccounted for following devastating floods last month. In a recent phone call with Nepali Prime Minister Balendra Shah, Anwar raised the possibility of establishing a formal mechanism to address cases where victims remain missing after search efforts have been exhausted. Such a system would aim to help affected families manage legal, financial, and administrative matters.

Anwar shared on social media that Prime Minister Shah assured him that search operations would continue despite increasingly difficult conditions on the ground. The discussion also covered the recruitment of Nepali workers to Malaysia. Both leaders agreed that the recruitment process needs to be free of exploitation and unfair fees, particularly those benefiting intermediaries or agents.

“Worker recruitment must remain transparent, competitive and protective of labour rights,” Anwar said, adding that Malaysia’s Human Resources Minister and his Nepali counterpart are scheduled to meet soon to further develop and refine bilateral frameworks governing labour recruitment.

Separately, Anwar is currently on a three-day working visit to China, attending meetings in Shanghai and Hangzhou at the invitation of Premier Li Qiang. During his trip, Anwar aims to strengthen diplomatic ties, engage with leading corporate figures to attract investment into Malaysia, and support Malaysian participants at the WorldSkills Competition Shanghai 2026. He will also attend the Global Digital Trade Expo in Hangzhou, where Malaysia is featured as a guest country of honour.

The ongoing efforts to locate the missing Malaysians highlight the challenges faced after the severe flooding event, while the discussions between Malaysia and Nepal reflect broader concerns over the welfare of migrant workers and bilateral labour cooperation.