Next of kin of Malaysians missing after Nepal floods and landslides told to prepare for DNA tests to help identify unidentified victims.
PUTRAJAYA: The next of kin of Malaysians who have yet to be traced following the flash floods and landslides in Nepal have been asked to prepare to undergo a deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) test to assist in the identification process.
Sivakumar Kalimuthu (pix), 57, who is still awaiting news of his wife Kalai Mathe Karuppaiah, 57, said he and his family were informed of the need for the test during a briefing session with the Foreign Ministry at Wisma Putra today.
“The police will contact us for the purpose of this DNA test and I need to gather my three children for the test,” he told reporters.
He said the DNA test was among the preparations that needed to be carried out following the discovery of several unidentified bodies in the disaster area, which had to be buried immediately due to the lack of suitable storage facilities at the location.
He said his three children are currently in Singapore, Langkawi and Selangor, and all of them are still grieving but continue to hope that their mother will be found safe.
Recalling the last communication with his wife, who is a housewife, Sivakumar said he received a call from Kalai Mathe at about 11am last Tuesday.
“My wife informed me that she and a group of tourists from Malaysia totalling 17 people wanted to move into Kailash to pray, but after that there was no further communication,” he said.
Sivakumar said he continued to pray for his wife’s safety and hoped to be able to bring her back to the country.
Earlier, a closed briefing by the Foreign Ministry informed that the next of kin of Malaysians who have yet to be traced are encouraged to undergo a DNA test at the police contingent headquarters (IPK) starting tomorrow after receiving an official notification.
The test will be used as a cross-reference to identify victims of the incident in Chitwan, Nepal.
