KUALA LUMPUR — A spokesman for families with loved ones missing in Nepal said the Foreign Ministry could be more proactive in caring for family members here by making personal visits to check on their mental health.
Dr Manivannan Rethinam, who represents the Malaysia Solidarity: Families in Hope (Masfih), raised concerns about the mental health of those waiting for confirmation on the status of their missing after the massive flood and mudslides along the Nepal-China border on August 26.
“It would be far better if Wisma Putra were to visit all the next-of-kin directly…without waiting for them to request assistance.
“Many family members may still be in denial, may not recognise the seriousness of their own condition or may be reluctant to ask for help. However, that does not mean they are coping well. Their mental health may already be deteriorating silently,” he said in a statement to Scoop.
“A proactive visit would allow the authorities to identify families who are at risk, assess their immediate needs and provide support before their condition worsens. Families should not be expected to take the first step when they are experiencing shock, denial, grief and prolonged uncertainty.
“In these exceptional circumstances, the responsibility should be on the support system to reach out to them.”
Manivannan said the Malaysian government should surely be able to coordinate such visits to the families who are mainly located in the Klang Valley, Perak and Penang, as well as find those who live in other states.
“This is something within our Government’s control and capacity, and appropriate support should be mobilised quickly.
“We are not asking for something beyond the Government’s capacity. We are asking for the available resources to be mobilised now, while the families are in need, rather than after a crisis develops,” he said.
Meanwhile, Hani Othman, the wife of a Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) officer missing after floods, is channeling her anguish into humanitarian work there, even as she looks for clues to her husband’s whereabouts.
Hani told Bernama she had been in Nepal for eight days now to follow developments in the search for her husband, Senior Fire Officer II Mohd Fakhrul Munir Mohd Isa, 44.
While on the lookout for news about his location, she has joined a humanitarian mission in Nuwakot to distribute aid to disaster victims in the country. The mission is run by local non-governmental organisations (NGO) Samundra Nepal NGO and Himalayan Leaders.
“The area of my husband’s last point is further up. It’s difficult to access. But Nuwakot is also a disaster-prone area, just located further down.
“I will distribute aid to the victims here. Let’s see, who knows, we might find some clues,” she said when contacted by Bernama.
Mohd Fakhrul, a member of the Special Airborne Fire and Rescue Team (PASKUB), was with a group in a valley in Rasuwa on an expedition to Everest Base Camp (EBC).
He is among 55 Malaysians who were uncontactable after the catastrophic mudslide and floods on August 26. The death toll as of this morning is 1,344, according to Bernama citing agencies, while 4,898 people remain out of contact.
Rescuers have pulled out 8,631 people alive so far, as search and rescue operations continue. – Sept 5, 2026