‘Perhaps the state forestry departments can make it compulsory for all guides to ensure their movements are reported.’
PETALING JAYA: Mountain guides should be required to report their movements to state forestry departments as a matter of policy, a guides’ association has proposed, saying this would help speed up rescue response when hikers go missing.
Forestry Mountain Guides Association chairman Mohamad Azuan Abdullah said while hiking permits and participant data were already submitted to police stations near trail entrances, the movements of forestry mountain guides (malim gunung perhutanan) were currently tracked separately by each state branch.
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“What is being practised now is quite good, where the hiking permit and data are given to the designated police station near the entrance before hikers enter the hiking area.
“Movements by forestry mountain guides are also tracked by each state branch.
“Perhaps the state forestry departments can make it compulsory for all guides to ensure their movements are reported.“
He said in emergencies, the guides should act as first responders as they were the trained individuals or teams likely to arrive earliest at the incident location.
“If the movement schedule of every guide is made compulsory by the department, this can help coordinate the response and reduce the actual risks.
“Guides can also assess whether the situation is more serious and whether assistance from the Fire and Rescue Department or ambulance services is needed.
“So the flow for early action should be guides first, followed by the Fire and Rescue Department, ambulance and police,“ he said.
Azuan welcomed any improvement that could help agencies reduce risks during activities inside permanent forest reserves.
He added that hiking itineraries shared by each guide should be followed by participants so trips could be completed within schedule. His proposal comes amid renewed concern over missing hiker cases, with Azuan pointing to a recurring factor behind such incidents – hikers who join group treks with strangers and fail to practise basic buddy discipline on the trail.
“This is because some join a hiking trip alone in another group and only meet before the trip starts. The BPR concept (Buddy, Pace and Re-group) may not be practised by individuals,“ he told theSun.
He advised families not to panic if hikers were overdue. They need to contact the guides on duty or the relevant state association branch representative for information and assistance.
Azuan said hikers who realised they had strayed from the trail should use the STOP principle (Stop or stay, Think, Observe and Plan) and avoid unnecessary movement.
The concern follows two losthiker cases within a short period in May, including the case of Nur Izzati Humaira Azizul, 19, who was reported missing at Bukit Changkat Asa, Hulu Selangor, on May 23.
She was found dead on May 26. Most recently, Jaslinda Saludin, 49, went missing during a hike at Gunung Batu Putih, Perak, also on May 23, and was found safe near Kampung Lubuk Geharu, Pos Musoh, on June 6 after 14 days.
On May 29, Fire and Rescue Department director-general Datuk Seri Nor Hisham Mohammad told a Malay daily that the department’s statistics showed 52 lost-hiker cases involving 114 victims recorded nationwide from January to May this year.
