KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has sought Nepal’s help in locating 55 Malaysians still unaccounted for following last month’s devastating floods.
The Prime Minister said he raised the need to establish a formal mechanism should the victims remain unaccounted for and search efforts fail to provide certainty.
“This is important to help the affected families deal with legal, financial and administrative matters. I will send an official letter to Nepali Prime Minister Balendra Shah detailing this proposal,” Anwar said in a Facebook post.
Anwar, who had a phone call with his Nepali counterpart, also conveyed the concerns and hopes of the families still awaiting news of their loved ones.
The Prime Minister said Shah had assured him that search efforts would continue despite the increasingly challenging conditions.
Anwar said there were also discussions on the recruitment of Nepali workers to Malaysia, particularly the role of agents in the process.
He said both sides agreed that the recruitment system must be free from exploitation and unreasonable charges that benefit certain parties.
“Worker recruitment must remain transparent, competitive and protective of labour rights,” Anwar said.
He noted that Malaysia’s Human Resources Minister and his Nepali counterpart will meet soon to refine recruitment bilateral frameworks.
Meanwhile, Anwar has arrived in China for a three-day working visit to Shanghai and Hangzhou at the invitation of Premier Li Qiang.
“Beyond bilateral meetings to strengthen diplomatic ties, I will meet top corporate leaders to attract high-impact investments to Malaysia,” Anwar said.
His itinerary includes attending the WorldSkills Competition Shanghai 2026 to support Malaysian competitors.
In Hangzhou, Anwar will visit the Global Digital Trade Expo, where Malaysia features as a guest country of honour.
