Malaysia tightens hiking rules to reduce accidents, search and rescue ops
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Deputy Minister Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh said some hikers continued to underestimate the importance of proper preparation or the danger of venturing onto unauthorised trails.
ST PHOTO: BRIAN TEO
- Malaysia has tightened hiking rules in high-risk areas to reduce accidents and costly search and rescue operations.
- New measures include bans on compressed hikes, mandatory forestry guides, and stricter health screenings for climbers.
- The government is also developing technology-based systems to better manage hiking trails and monitor safety risks.
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KUALA LUMPUR – Control on hiking activities in Malaysia’s high-risk mountainous areas has been tightened to reduce accidents and the need for costly search and rescue (SAR) operations, says the nation’s Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Ministry.
Deputy Minister Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh said some hikers continued to underestimate the importance of proper preparation or the danger of venturing onto unauthorised trails.
“The government’s priority is to reduce the risk of hikers getting lost and prevent accidents, thereby minimising the need for SAR operations, which require substantial financial resources and manpower,” he said during the question-and-answer session in the Dewan Negara.
“Our approach is aimed at preventing incidents before they occur by reducing the risks of extreme fatigue, disorientation and other emergencies.”
Syed Ibrahim was responding to a question from Senator Professor Emeritus Mohammad Redzuan Othman on measures to improve hiker safety and reduce incidents that place a financial burden on the government to conduct SAR operations.
Syed Ibrahim said the Perak Forestry Department has imposed a ban on “compressed hike” activities in high-risk areas, while the Department of Wildlife and National Parks has implemented similar restrictions at ecotourism sites under its jurisdiction.
He said the government is strengthening pre-climb screening procedures by requiring health declarations, medical history checks and insurance coverage, while also proposing screening for symptoms of high-altitude illness and acute mountain sickness, particularly for climbers attempting Mount Kinabalu in Sabah and Mount Tahan in Pahang.
“These measures enable high-risk climbers to be identified early, before they are allowed to undertake climbing activities,” he said, per Bernama.
Syed Ibrahim said the Forestry Department of Peninsular Malaysia has also made the services of forestry mountain guides mandatory at 189 high-risk hiking locations nationwide.
He added that the government is developing technology-based solutions, including a geographic information system-based hiking trail management system and remote sensing capabilities in collaboration with the Malaysian Space Agency. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK