TAPAH: Cold temperatures, rugged mountain terrain and poor communication coverage continue to hamper efforts to locate missing hiker Jaslinda Saludin as the search and rescue (SAR) operation entered its sixth day today at Gunung Batu Putih.
Jaslinda, 49, has been missing since May 23 and was last seen by a Forestry Mountain Guide (MGP) at 7.30am on May 24.
Perak MGP Muzafar Mohamad said temperatures at the highland area could drop to around six degrees Celsius, while strong winds and difficult terrain posed major challenges to rescue teams operating in the area.
“Besides the cold and windy conditions in the highlands, communication difficulties between teams on the ground and the operations control centre are also a major challenge, affecting tactical coordination during the search in the mountainous area,” he told reporters at the Fire Control Centre (PKB) at Pos Kuala Poh here yesterday.
Muzafar, who has more than 20 years of climbing experience, believes Jaslinda may have mistakenly taken the wrong route while descending the mountain.
He said deteriorating physical condition and exhaustion could have affected the victim’s judgement, causing her to choose a path that appeared similar to the original trail leading back to the foot of the mountain.
“The route here is categorised as difficult and requires climbers to exert considerable physical effort, including climbing over certain obstacles. In short, it demands strong physical endurance to complete the entire trek,” he said.
Despite the harsh conditions, Muzafar said the possibility that Jaslinda is still alive cannot be ruled out, as survival often depends on an individual’s mental and physical strength.
“Past operations have shown that some victims were able to survive for a certain period despite being in difficult conditions, but it depends heavily on the circumstances at the location,” he said.
According to Muzafar, the SAR operation at Malaysia’s eighth-highest mountain is among the longest he has experienced throughout his career as a mountain guide.
“Search operations are usually completed within two to three days, depending on the terrain and early information obtained at the scene,” he said.
He also advised the public against hiking alone and urged climbers to travel in groups to reduce the risk of unwanted incidents.
Previously, Jaslinda and 13 others, accompanied by two MGP personnel, began the Trans Spencer Chapman expedition at 2 am on May 23 via the Pos Gedung-Gunung Bah Gading-Gunung Batu Putih-Kuala Woh route.
Jaslinda and another hiker, Mohd Hanafi Neikmad, 41, reportedly experienced health problems and stopped, but Jaslinda later continued towards the summit and was last seen by the MGP on May 24 at 7.30 am.– BERNAMA
