The family of a 27-year-old Gelugor engineer missing since flash floods and landslides struck the Nepal-Tibet border area last Wednesday is praying for his safe return, as the Penang state government moves to offer support.
Muhammad Muhaimin Azhad Noor Hadi, who works with the Implementation Coordination Unit of the Prime Minister’s Department (ICU JPM) in Penang, has been unreachable since the disaster on 26 August. His father, who wished to be known only as Noor Hadi, told Malay Mail that the family travelled from their home in Taman Tun Sardon, Gelugor, to Kuala Lumpur to follow developments through Wisma Putra.
“Yesterday, family members attended a meeting with Wisma Putra to obtain information about Muhammad Muhaimin Azhad, and until now, we have also not received any phone calls or messages from him in Nepal,” Noor Hadi said. “We hope that he will be found safe. We are constantly praying for his safety, and together with the mosque, we have also held a special prayer and recitation of Surah Yasin for him.”
Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said the state government was prepared to consider appropriate forms of assistance for the families of two hikers from the state who remain missing. Speaking after the state-level National Day celebration at Padang Kota Lama, Chow said the administration would obtain relevant information, including contacting ICU JPM, where the two missing hikers work as engineers.
Muhammad Muhaimin left for Nepal last week with two friends, Muhammad Zaki Othman, 29, from Kubang Semang in Bukit Mertajam, and Muhammad Adib Haikal Awang Mansor, 27, from Kulim in Kedah, The Star reported. The three were on a hiking expedition in Langtang Valley and were scheduled to return to Malaysia on 31 August.
A friend of the group, posting on Threads under the username emyliatahar, said the last message from the hikers was received at 10.42am Malaysian time on 26 August, the day the disaster struck, with their last known location around the Bhote Koshi area. The post appealed to the public to continue praying for their safety.
The Nepal-Tibet border disaster was triggered by a glacier collapse on the southern slope of Lirung Peak, which sent a torrent of rock, ice and mud through Himalayan river systems for more than 20 kilometres before hitting Gyirong Port. Nepal’s disaster agency reported a death toll of 675 with 2,498 people missing, while Chinese authorities in Tibet confirmed 16 deaths and 546 people still unaccounted for.
Other Malaysians have also been caught up in the disaster. The Star reported that a group of 10 Malaysians known as “Team Loe” have been uncontactable since floods struck Nepal’s Rasuwa district. Among them is Fire and Rescue Department Senior Fire Officer II Mohd Fakhrul, whose wife Hani Othman travelled to Nepal to search for him.
