KUALA LUMPUR – Nine Malaysians feared missing following the devastating Nepal-Tibet flash flood disaster do not appear in Nepal’s official missing persons records, prompting families to raise concerns that the number of Malaysians still unaccounted for may have been under-reported.
The discrepancy was highlighted by Malaysia Solidarity: Families in Hope (MASFIH), which represents families of several Malaysians believed to have been caught in the disaster.
MASFIH spokesman Dr Manivannan Rethinam said the nine Malaysians – comprising eight Malays and one Chinese – were travelling with Dream Tibet Travels and Tours and were among 49 Malaysians identified by the group.
However, their names were absent from the Nepal Tourism Board’s Situation Update 2 dated August 26.
“As a result, there is a serious concern that the number of missing Malaysians may have been under-reported in the official records,” Manivannan told a press conference at Batu Caves today.
The issue comes as the Foreign Ministry (MOFA) latest update placed the number of Malaysians missing at 55.
MASFIH said it was therefore unable to determine whether the nine should be counted in addition to the 55 Malaysians reported missing until the lists held by Malaysian and Nepalese authorities were reconciled.
According to MASFIH, the families spent two days tracing the group’s permit and travel records before identifying Dream Tibet Travels and Tours as the company that issued the permits.
“We were informed that the permit issuing company has intentionally not reported it to the Nepal Tourism Board. This is very reliable information,” Manivannan said.
“That is why the nine Malaysians are not in their records. The agent that issued the permit has not reported it to the Tourism Board,” he explained.
The families said the concern was not simply whether Malaysian authorities possessed the names of those missing, but whether the same individuals had also been properly recorded by authorities in Nepal.
MASFIH said the 49 Malaysians it had identified were from three groups: 23 Malaysians and three Singaporeans travelling with Leaf Holiday Tracks and Expeditions, nine Malaysians travelling with Dream Tibet Travels and Tours, and 17 Malaysian Indians travelling with Fishtail Tours and Travels.
The groups were last known to have been in areas around the Rasuwagadhi Nepal-Tibet border, including locations on both the Nepalese side and the Tibet-China side.
The families have urged Malaysian authorities to urgently reconcile the differing lists and appoint a dedicated liaison officer to provide them with verified and consistent information.
“Do they know which Malaysians are currently unaccounted for? That is why we are not here to accuse anyone. We just want a licensed officer who can provide us with the correct information, so that it is easier for them and easier for us,” Manivannan said on behalf of the families.
The group said more than 72 hours had passed since the disaster, making the need for accurate information and a coordinated search increasingly urgent.
MASFIH also questioned reports that 36 Malaysians had been rescued, saying those individuals belonged to a separate group that had entered Tibet through China and were not among those who travelled from Nepal into Tibet.
“Up to now, not a single Malaysian, has been saved, from the list, of flood victims, in Nepal, Tibet. Up to now, not a single person,” he stressed.
The families are now urging the Malaysian government to use diplomatic channels with Nepal and China to intensify search efforts, including considering the deployment of Malaysian search and rescue personnel.
“We are seeking answers, coordination and action.”
“Our sole objective is simple, to find our missing loved ones and bring them home safely.” – August 29, 2026