Kuala lumpur: The Foreign Ministry, through the Malaysian Consulate General in Medan, is actively monitoring the situation and coordinating responses following the devastating flood and landslide disasters impacting West Sumatra, North Sumatra, and Aceh in Indonesia. The Minister, Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan, confirmed that seven Malaysians were initially reported stranded due to the floods. While six have safely returned to Malaysia, one individual remains missing.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the missing person, Asrul Nizam Apridwson, has not been located, even as the search enters its 23rd day. The Indonesian authorities have yet to provide any new updates on his whereabouts, as shared by Minister Hasan during a recent event at Taman Pinggiran Senawang.

Regarding Malaysian students in Indonesia, Education Malaysia in Jakarta reported that as of December 16, 49 students were in Aceh. Of these, 24 remain in the region, while the other 25 have returned home. Minister Hasan assured that all students in Aceh are safe, and the Ministry of Higher Education has provided financial assistance of RM500 to the affected students.

Indonesia's National Agency for Disaster Management (BNPB) has reported a tragic toll of 1,071 deaths, 185 missing persons, and over 525,868 residents displaced to temporary shelters due to the disaster. The estimated cost for recovery and reconstruction efforts in the affected provinces is expected to exceed RM12.7 million (51.82 trillion rupiah).