KUALA LUMPUR: The Prime Minister has reiterated his commitment to work closely with his Nepali counterpart regarding missing Malaysians following the devastating floods in Nepal.
Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said Nepal’s Prime Minister Balendra Shah has assured the Malaysian government it will provide all necessary cooperation to facilitate the process of verifying the status of Malaysians who remain unaccounted for.
“I have had conversations with the Nepalese Prime Minister, Balendra Shah. He is willing to cooperate fully.
“We have instructed the Attorney-General to follow up. Our legal requirement for a presumption of death declaration is seven years, whereas Nepal’s is three, but we can still petition the courts,” Anwar said.
“He assured me that he will cooperate fully to facilitate the process so that the families can obtain the results as soon as possible,” Anwar said after inspecting former Royal Malaysian Air Force (TUDM) staff quarters in Sungai Besi.
On Sept 28, a month after the Nepal floods, families of Malaysians still missing in the disaster sought the Prime Minister’s intervention, claiming they remained in the dark over the fate of their loved ones.
They claimed that many questions were left unanswered, despite a meeting with Wisma Putra and government agencies.
On Aug 26, devastating flash floods struck the Nepal-China border, killing more than 1,400 people to date, while thousands more remain missing.
On another matter, the Prime Minister wants the refurbishment of the TUDM quarters to be expedited, so that the area could be prepared for housing purposes.
Anwar said he had discussed the matter with the chairman of Sungai Besi land steering committee Tan Sri Mohd Hassan Marican, Kuala Lumpur City Hall and Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) Hannah Yeoh.
The development of the 20.23ha Malay reserve land within Bandar Malaysia is being planned to align with the government’s broader vision of transforming the area into an international business hub.
KLCC Development Sdn Bhd’s head Wan Shamilah Wan Muhammad Saidi said the project involves refurbishing two apartment blocks consisting of 160 units or 80 units per block.
Site work has commenced, with land clearing completed, indicating active progress on the ground.
“The refurbishment phase is underway, aligning with the planned timeline toward a 2027 occupancy target,” she said.
