KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 29 (Bernama) -- The families of 49 missing Malaysians following the devastating flash flood at the Nepal-Tibet border are still holding on to hope for news on the whereabouts and safety of their loved ones.
Malaysia Solidarity: Families in Hope (MASFIH) representative Dr R Manivanna appealed to the Malaysian Government and relevant authorities on behalf of the families to intensify search-and-rescue efforts to locate the missing Malaysians.
“For the families, this is not merely a missing-person situation, every hour without reliable information deepens their anxiety and anguish,” he said in a press conference here today, adding that the families understood the difficult conditions faced by rescuers.
He said the families were seeking regular and transparent updates from Wisma Putra, the Malaysian embassies in Kathmandu, Nepal and in Beijing, China on the status of those missing and ongoing search-and-rescue operations.
MASFIH also called for dedicated liaison officers to be appointed to communicate directly with its representatives, which would enable the quick and consistent dissemination of verified information to affected families and reduce the need for individual family members to repeatedly contact different agencies for information.
Manivannan also voiced concerns that MASFIH had little or no direct information on search-and-rescue efforts on the Tibet/China side and highlighted the possibility that some missing Malaysians could have been near the Chinese immigration and customs area, gotten caught in the flood while crossing the border or had already crossed immigration and been travelling towards Gyirong/Kerung.
“Families should not have to rely on fragmented information from informal sources to determine whether their loved ones may have been located,” he said.
He also urged the Malaysian Government to use all available diplomatic channels with Nepal and China to seek approval for Malaysian search-and-rescue teams and relevant specialised capabilities to assist in the operation.
According to Manivannan, the 49 missing Malaysians were in three groups - 23 Malaysians and three Singaporeans travelling with Leaf Holiday, nine Malaysians with Dream Tibet Travel & Tours and 17 Malaysians with Fishtail Tours & Travels.
He pointed out that MASFIH had identified discrepancies in the official missing-person records, particularly involving the nine Malaysians travelling with Dream Tibet Travel & Tours, who did not appear in the Nepal Tourism Board's Situation Update 2 dated Aug 26.
“We respectfully request the Malaysian Government to raise this discrepancy with the Nepali authorities and seek immediate verification and reconciliation of the official missing-person records,” he said.
Wisma Putra had contacted the MASFIH earlier today to arrange a meeting with the affected families and their representatives tomorrow to discuss the situation and the latest developments, he added.
-- BERNAMA