KUALA LUMPUR – Wisma Putra has requested a meeting with representatives of the families of 49 Malaysians who remain missing following devastating flash floods near the Nepal-Tibet border, with the meeting expected to take place tomorrow.
The meeting follows calls by Malaysian Solidarity Families in Hope (MASFIH), which represents the affected families, for the government to intensify search and rescue efforts, strengthen coordination with Nepal and China, and provide families with regular and verified updates.
MASFIH spokesman Dr Manivannan Rethinam said the meeting with Wisma Putra was crucial as relatives had struggled to obtain consistent and reliable information about their loved ones more than 72 hours after the disaster.
“Every hour matters, every life matters, every family deserves answers,” he stressed during a press conference in Batu Caves today.
MASFIH has called on Wisma Putra, the Malaysian Embassy in Kathmandu and the Malaysian Embassy in Beijing to establish a mechanism to provide official daily updates to the families.
“We are respectfully request Wisma Putra and the Malaysian Embassy in Kathmandu and Beijing to appoint dedicated liaison officers to communicate directly with the three appointed representatives of MASFIH,” he said.
The group said the updates should include the status of the missing Malaysians, ongoing search and rescue operations, areas being searched, developments from Nepalese and Chinese authorities, the number of people located, rescued or accounted for, and the Malaysian Government’s next course of action.
It said even confirmation that there was no new information would provide reassurance that efforts to locate the missing Malaysians were continuing.
“This is because rather than having 50 families contacting the Embassy, contacting the Wisma Putra, we can have a one-to-one discussion and we as the representatives can update the family members on a timely manner.”
Speaking on behalf of the affected families, Manivannan also urged the government to use diplomatic channels with Nepal and China to seek approval for the deployment of Malaysian search and rescue personnel and other specialised capabilities.
According to MASFIH, the missing Malaysians had been travelling in three separate groups, with their last known locations believed to be around the Rasuwagadhi-Nepal-Tibet border area.
The groups comprise Leaf Holiday, involving 23 Malaysians; Dream Tibet Travel and Tours, involving nine Malaysians; and Fishtail Tours and Travels, involving 17 Malaysians.
MASFIH said the cross-border nature of the disaster made close cooperation between Malaysia, Nepal and China essential, particularly in areas on both sides of the border.
“We fully recognise the extremely difficult terrain, weather conditions, damaged infrastructure and cross-border complexities faced by the authorities and rescue agencies.”
“Nevertheless, given the number of Malaysians unaccounted for, the uncertainties surrounding the last known locations and the critical passage of time, MASFIH believes that every available search and rescue resource should now be considered and mobilised,” he said in his statement.
The group also expressed concern over what it described as a lack of direct information from the Tibet-China side of the border.
It said families had mainly received updates concerning developments on the Nepalese side, while there had been little or no direct information on search and rescue operations in Tibet.
MASFIH said some of the missing Malaysians could have been near the Chinese immigration and customs area when the floods struck, while others may have already crossed into Tibet.
It urged the Malaysian Government to engage with China through diplomatic channels to obtain verified information on rescue operations, survivors, casualties and any Malaysians who may have been located on the Tibetan side.
The families also highlighted the need to prevent misinformation, following the circulation of unverified reports and images on social media.
Manivannan said the emotional strain faced by families made them particularly vulnerable to false information.
“So, we need, a network, we can trust.”
“After that, 2 or 3 days ago, there was a lot of information, on social media,” he added.
He said families had been attempting to verify information through their own contacts in Nepal but believed the government should establish a formal channel through which information could be checked and communicated.
“We are not seeking confrontation. We are seeking answers, coordination and action,” he stressed.
MASFIH said its sole objective was to locate the missing Malaysians and bring them home safely.
“For a grieving family waiting for the news of a loved one, silence is profoundly painful. Uncertainty creates fear, frustration and at times desperation,” he said.
The group appealed to the government to ensure that no potential search area or diplomatic avenue was overlooked as efforts to locate the 49 Malaysians continue.
“We therefore appeal to the Malaysian Government to leave no avenue unexplored, no search area unchecked and no diplomatic channel unused in the effort to locate our missing Malaysians.” – August 29, 2026