SHAH ALAM, Sept 13 – The families and next-of-kin of 55 Malaysians who remain missing following the massive floods in Nepal continue to await the latest updates from the authorities, 19 days after the incident occurred.
The wife of Senior Fire Officer II Mohd Fakhrul Munir Mohd Isa, Hani Othman, said the families have yet to receive results regarding the DNA matching between relatives in Malaysia and the remains of victims in Nepal, *Berita Harian* reported.
However, Hani understood that the process is still ongoing.
"There are no updates yet on the DNA matching test. But I am told it is still in progress.
“I am still hoping for a miracle, yet I remain resigned to whatever outcome may come," she said when contacted.
On August 28, Hani reportedly flew to Kathmandu on her own to obtain direct updates on the search operations for her husband and other victims who remained out of contact.
She said she wanted to be closer to the search operations rather than simply waiting for updates from Malaysia.
When asked about the conclusion of the Special Malaysia Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (SMART) MAS-01 mission in Nepal, Hani declined to comment further.
"I don't know how to comment. I have to be mindful of various parties; this issue is very sensitive," she said.
P. Sivan, 72, the father of Rajita Sivan said that DNA samples from the next-of-kin have already been collected, and the family is now awaiting further updates from Wisma Putra.
"The DNA has been collected. We are waiting for news from Wisma Putra. I hope (the victims) are found so that the DNA matching can be carried out.
"If they are found alive, it would be a miracle," he said.
A total of 55 Malaysians were reported to be out of contact following the disaster.
Another 77 Malaysians who were located safe in Tibet and Nepal, have been brought to Kathmandu to undergo processing before returning to Malaysia.
