Selangor suspends long-distance, fast-paced hiking activities

PETALING JAYA: Selangor will temporarily suspend applications for certain hiking activities at all permanent forest reserves from July 1 following safety concerns after a hiker recently went missing for two weeks near Tapah, Perak.

In a notice today, the Selangor forestry department said it will not process new applications for “trans hiking” and “compress hiking” activities until further notice.

It also reminded the public to comply with the directive, warning that offenders may face jail terms of up to five years, fines of up to RM30,000, or both, under state forestry laws.

The move follows a similar decision by the Perak forestry department to ban “compressed hike” activities on several high-risk trekking routes.

“Trans hiking” refers to a long-distance, point-to-point trek that crosses a forest reserve or mountain range, while “hiking compress” refers to a fast-paced or time-compressed hiking activity.

Hiker Jaslinda Saludin went missing during a Trans Spencer Chapman trek on Gunung Batu Putih in Tapah on May 24.

She was reported to have begun the trek the day before with 13 other hikers and two mountain guides before reportedly experiencing health issues and stopping with another hiker.

She was found safe on June 6 by an Orang Asli villager near Kampung Lubuk Gaharu at Pos Musoh, deep in the mountainous region of Tapah.