PETALING JAYA: A Malaysian trekker who returned home safely after Nepal’s devastating flash floods had contacted his family nine days after the disaster, rather than remaining out of contact for 37 days, says Malaysia Solidarity: Families in Hope (MASFIH) spokesperson Manivannan Rethinam.
Manivannan said this followed a five-hour meeting with the trekker, identified as Low, on Sunday (Oct 11) to clarify his movements following the Aug 26 disaster.
According to Low’s account, he re-established contact with his family on Sept 3 after reaching Tipling, where he found electricity and Internet access.
“He then informed his family that he was safe and making his way to Kathmandu,” Manivannan said in a statement on Sunday.
Low reached Kathmandu on Sept 11 before embarking on another trek towards Langtang Valley on Sept 13. He reportedly became stranded in a guest house in the Gosaikunda area for three days due to a snowstorm before returning to Kathmandu on Sept 29.
He visited the Malaysian Embassy and boarded a flight home on Oct 1, arriving in Malaysia the following day.
Manivannan said the 37-day period referred to the time between the flash floods and Low being reported safe on Oct 1, not the duration he was unable to contact his family.
“The period before Mr Low was reported safe in public should not be understood as 37 days without any contact with his family,” he said.
However, Manivannan stressed that Low’s circumstances were different from those of the 54 Malaysians who remain unaccounted for following the disaster.
“Their circumstances must therefore be considered in the context of the flood’s destructive path, and every reasonable effort must continue to establish their fate through recovery, evidence gathering and identification,” he said.
The fate of 54 Malaysians who remain unaccounted for following the devastating flash floods in Nepal is still unknown, with their families seeking answers despite the end of search-and-rescue operations.
Manivannan said the search-and-rescue operations in Nepal ended on Sept 30, but efforts to establish the fate of the missing Malaysians must continue through recovery and identification.
He urged the Malaysian, Nepalese and Chinese authorities to coordinate their efforts, expedite DNA matching and provide regular, transparent updates to affected families.
He added that MASFIH would meet Bank Negara Malaysia on Monday (Oct 12) to discuss the financial difficulties faced by the affected families.
The group was also seeking meetings with the Attorney General’s Chambers and the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to address the families’ legal concerns and prolonged uncertainty.
“The end of search and rescue must not mean the end of efforts to establish the facts,” Manivannan said, reiterating that every reasonable effort should be made to account for the missing Malaysians and provide their families with answers and closure.
