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KUALA LUMPUR – A total of 54 Malaysians remain missing following the Nepal-Tibet flood disaster on August 26, with no deaths officially confirmed as of October 31, according to Malaysia Solidarity Families in Hope (MASFIH).
MASFIH Coordinator and Spokesperson, Ts. Dr. Manivannan Rethinam, said the families were still awaiting reliable information and official clarification on the status of their missing loved ones, 67 days after the tragedy.
He said reports published by several media organisations on October 30 describing the missing Malaysians as having “died”, “perished” or “terkorban” were inaccurate and could create a misleading impression that their deaths had been officially established.
“I wish to emphasise that I am not commenting on the likelihood of any particular outcome. I am stating the present position: these 54 Malaysians remain missing, and their deaths have not been formally established,” he said in a media statement today.
Manivannan, who is also the elder brother and next of kin of one of the missing Malaysians, Komathi Rethinam, said the original MASFIH statement issued on October 30 did not describe the missing individuals as deceased.
Instead, it referred to missing individuals, eligible next of kin, affected families and the process of contacting beneficiaries by the Social Security Organisation (PERKESO).
He clarified that PERKESO had started contacting the next of kin of individuals identified as eligible for payments from October 29.
However, he stressed that eligibility for benefits under a PERKESO scheme was an administrative and statutory matter and should not be interpreted as confirmation of the missing individuals’ deaths.
He also explained that his role was limited to assisting families by updating and submitting contact details of eligible next of kin to PERKESO, while the eligibility decisions remained under the agency’s authority.
Manivannan said the reference to November 4 as the expected payment date was based on feedback from several families who had been contacted and informed that supporting documents were being processed.
He expressed concern that the use of terms suggesting confirmed deaths, particularly in headlines and opening paragraphs, could misrepresent MASFIH’s position and cause further distress to affected families.
“Behind every name is a family waiting for answers, dealing with practical and financial challenges, and trying to navigate an extraordinary situation that none of us anticipated,” he said.
He also called on Bernama and other media organisations that published or republished the reports to review their coverage and replace inaccurate descriptions with terms such as Malaysians who remain missing.
Among the corrective measures sought were amendments to headlines, subheadings, captions and introductory paragraphs, as well as corrections across all language versions and publication platforms.
He also requested a public apology, a written explanation on how the disputed descriptions were introduced and an initial response within three working days of receiving the formal objection.
The statement further clarified that MASFIH was an informal, family-led support and coordination group co-founded by three individuals, rather than a registered organisation or separate legal entity.
Currently, 53 of the 54 affected families participate in its family coordination group, while one family has chosen not to join.
Manivannan said MASFIH’s advocacy efforts were directed towards the welfare and interests of all 54 affected families, while respecting individual membership decisions.
He also reserved his personal legal rights over publications that could misrepresent his statements or cause legally actionable harm to his reputation.
“My sister remains missing. The other 53 Malaysians remain missing. Their families continue to wait,” he said.
He urged media organisations to uphold accuracy, verification and sensitivity when reporting on the tragedy, stressing that unconfirmed outcomes should not be presented as established facts. – DETIK MALAYSIA
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