Orang Asli should be involved in hiking, SAR operations, says Perak MB

Perak's Menteri Besar, Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad, advocates for the inclusion of the Orang Asli community in all hiking activities and search-and-rescue (SAR) operations for missing persons in forest areas. He emphasized that this integration is crucial because the Orang Asli possess an intimate knowledge of the terrain and the actual conditions within these forests.

Saarani highlighted that forests are not only monitored by the Forestry Department but are also home to the Orang Asli, who are the indigenous inhabitants and hold extensive knowledge of these areas. "It should be that the Orang Asli community, especially the Tok Batin (village chief), are involved in hiking activities. Moreover, when a missing person case occurs and a search and rescue operation is carried out, they must also be involved," he stated during a press conference.

The Menteri Besar also addressed grievances from the Orang Asli community who feel uninformed about hikers entering their settlements. This lack of communication can lead to problems, particularly when incidents occur, and rescue operations result in damage to their crops due to the large number of rescuers in the area. "Sometimes the Orang Asli community complains because they are not informed about the presence of hikers who enter just like that," he said.

Furthermore, Saarani expressed support for integrating the Orang Asli as mountain guides and forest rangers, recognizing that their expertise and experience can be maximally utilized. He cited examples in Royal Belum and the Amanjaya Forest Reserve where the local community, including the Orang Asli, are already involved as rangers and mountain guides.