KUALA LUMPUR, July 18 — Members of the public need not wait 24 hours to report a missing family member or acquaintance, said Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain.

He told Malay daily Sinar Harian the claim that one must wait for 24 hours after a disappearance is a myth and baseless.

“There is no regulation or law that forces you to be patient, calm, or endure pain for a long period.

“Some say you need to wait 24 hours, 48 hours, or even 72 hours in a state of anxiety and nervousness. This is merely a myth,” he told Sinar Harian.

He said that once a search for the missing person has been conducted and attempts to contact them have failed, one should immediately go to the police station.

He said this was an early step to prevent any unfortunate incident from happening to the individual reported missing.

He also advised the community to continue playing a role in providing information regarding missing persons cases.

“The community’s role is highly valued in assisting the police.

“We have announced through various mediums regarding missing persons cases so that the public can help with the investigation,” he added.

Recently, there has been widespread inquiries online regarding the standard operating procedure (SOP) for police reports related to missing persons cases.

https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2024/07/18/igp-24-hour-wait-to-report-missing-person-just-a-myth/144117