The families of the young Lebanese man, Khaled Omar Malas, from the city of Minya, are experiencing heavy hours of anxiety and anticipation after contact with him was lost in the Australian city of Melbourne about 3 days ago, amidst ambiguity surrounding his fate, while appeals continue to the Lebanese and Australian authorities and the Lebanese community to help reveal his whereabouts and check on him.
The Malas family announced, in a statement, that they received information on Thursday evening about Khaled’s disappearance in Melbourne, after they lost contact with him and no longer had any clear information about his whereabouts or the circumstances surrounding his disappearance.
The family appealed to the President of the Republic, Joseph Aoun, the Prime Minister, Nawaf Salam, Dar Al-Fatwa in Lebanon, and MP Ahmed Al-Khair, to intervene quickly and follow up on the case with the relevant authorities, calling for coordination with the Australian authorities and intensifying efforts to uncover the fate of their son.
The family also sent an appeal to the Lebanese Embassy and Consulate in Australia and members of the Lebanese community there, to help communicate with the relevant authorities in the city of Melbourne and keep up with the search operations, hoping to obtain any information that could lead to Khaled.
The family said that they appreciate the efforts made by the Australian state and the police, but demanded that the scope of the search be expanded and accelerated, as days passed without receiving conclusive information about his fate.
In parallel with the family statement, the local Al-Minya page circulated information that it said was transmitted by an Australian radio station, which suggested that Khaled had been kidnapped after he was shot. The page indicated that the Australian police were continuing their investigations to uncover the circumstances of what happened and determine his whereabouts.
However, this story is still, until now, within the framework of circulating information, and there has been no official confirmation from the Australian authorities proving that Malas was shot or kidnapped, which makes his fate and the actual circumstances of his disappearance unresolved until the results of the investigation or an official statement from the police is issued.
According to what was circulated in Minya, Australian Radio also conducted an interview with members of Khaled’s family as part of following up on the case, at a time when appeals are expanding within the Lebanese and Arab community in Australia to assist in the search operations and provide any information that may be useful to investigators.
The National News Agency had quoted the family as confirming that the news of Khaled’s disappearance had reached them after he had gone missing about 3 days ago, and that they had been living in a state of extreme anxiety since then as a result of the lack of clear information about his fate.
The file takes on a special human dimension for the people of Minya, with the widening circle of circulation of the young man’s image and name on social media sites, in an attempt to reach people who may have seen him or have information about his recent movements in Melbourne.
In cases of missing Lebanese citizens, Lebanese diplomatic missions abroad play the role of liaison with the local authorities, by following up on investigations and inquiring about hospitals, police stations, and the competent authorities, in addition to keeping up with the family as permitted by the laws in force in the country concerned.
The basic aspect of the investigation remains the responsibility of the Australian Police, which is responsible for collecting information, determining the last location where the missing person was seen, and reviewing any recordings, statements and testimonies related to the case, all the way to determining the circumstances of the disappearance and whether there is a criminal suspicion.
In light of the lack of a final official account being issued yet, the family calls for not neglecting any information, no matter how simple it may seem, asking everyone who knows anything about Khaled or has seen him during the past days to contact the competent authorities or family members.
Between Melbourne and Al-Minya, all eyes remain on the results of the search and investigation, while the family of Khaled Omar Malas clings to the hope of obtaining news that will put an end to days of anxiety and return their son to them safely.
