MALAYSIAN NATIONAL MISSING IN NEW ZEALAND

BY AHMAD SHUKRAN SHAHARUDIN

WELLINGTON, Oct 3 (Bernama) -- A Malaysian national holidaying in New
Zealand is believed to be missing after he had not returned and checked out from
a youth hostel in Aoraki Mount Cook Village, South Island, since last Tuesday.

The Second Secretary at the Malaysian High Commission here, Dzulkefly
Mustapha, said Wong Ling Kok, 32, from Selangor state was last seen at 4 pm (New
Zealand time), last Wednesday.

The local police, who were informed that Wong had not checked from the
hostel after registering last Tuesday, had mounted a search and rescue operation
since Thursday and stopped the effort on Friday afternoon, he told Bernama, here
Friday.

"The search and rescue efforts were carried out in the Southern Alps area,
a popular area for those who love tramping," he said.

He said police had interviewed visitors to the area to gather information
before deciding to stop the search and rescue operation.

Police also found a bag belonging to Wong and several personal items in the
room rented by the Malaysian, he said.

Dzulkefly said Wong was scheduled to have checked out from the hostel on
Thursday, and return to Malaysia by flight from Christchurch, New Zealand to
Melbourne, Australia.

The High Commission had informed Wisma Putra (Foreign Ministry) about Wong's
disappearance on Thursday as well as Wong's family in Malaysia through his elder
sister, Wong Fui Men early Friday morning, he said.

Meanwhile, Malaysian High Commissioner to New Zealand Hasnudin Hamzah said
the High Commission would render all assistance to Wong's family if they wished
to come here.

He said Wong's elder sister had informed that there was a possibility that
she would come to New Zealand.

Meanwhile, New Zealand Press Association (NZPA) reported that the police
called off the search for the Malaysian missing in the Southern Alps who is now
presumed dead.

"He was lightly clad and it appeared he may have got into trouble on the
first night and 'perished quite early' from hypothermia," said the incident
controller, Senior Constable Brent Swanson of Lake Takepo police.

NZPA also reported that Swanson said the search would be re-activated if
further information came to light.

Swanson was also reported saying that they received the medical advice that
to have survived the 48 hours would have been slim and "once he gets beyond the
48 hours, basically he would perish by then if he is in the area".
-- BERNAMA