KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 2): Nepal's Prime Minister Balendra Shah has assured the Malaysian government that it will provide all necessary cooperation to facilitate the process of verifying the status of 54 Malaysians who remain unaccounted for after the country's devastating floods.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said Shah conveyed the commitment to him during a recent conversation.

Anwar said he has instructed Attorney-General Tan Sri Mohd Dusuki Mokhtar to hold further discussions with the Nepalese authorities immediately.

“They have their laws; our laws restrict (the timeframe) to six to seven years (on the legal status of Malaysians who remain missing). They have three years, but we can still apply to the courts.

“Balendra Shah has assured me that he will provide all necessary cooperation to facilitate (the process) so that the families can get the results as soon as possible,” he told reporters when asked about the latest developments regarding the Malaysians missing due to the disaster in Nepal.

The flood and debris flow tragedy on Aug 26, triggered by a glacial ice and rock collapse in the upper catchment area of the Lhende Khola in Tibet, has so far claimed 1,451 lives.

About 5,700 people, including more than 600 foreign nationals, remain missing.

Uploaded by Liza Shireen Koshy