SHAH ALAM, June 12 - The Selangor Forestry Department will temporarily suspend applications for trans and compressed hiking activities in all permanent forest reserves across the state beginning July 1.
In a notice issued today, the department said the measure is being implemented as a safety precaution, although no timeframe has been announced for when applications will resume.
It said any violation may be punishable under Section 47 of the National Forestry Act (Adoption) Enactment 1985, which prohibits unauthorised entry into closed forests.
“(Offenders may face) a fine not exceeding RM30,000 or imprisonment not exceeding five years or both," it said in the notice shared on Facebook.
Trans hiking, or traverse hiking, refers to long-distance, point-to-point treks where hikers start at one location and finish at another, while compressed hiking involves condensing a multi-day trek into a much shorter timeframe.
The suspension comes a week after the Perak Forestry Department imposed an immediate ban on day hikes and compressed climbing activities on several high-risk mountain routes across the state.
It said the decision was based on risk assessments of affected routes and terrain conditions, with climber safety as the primary consideration.
This follows the case of missing hiker Jaslinda Saludin, 49, who was reported missing since May 23 in the forested area of Gunung Batu Putih, Tapah, Perak, before she was found weak but alive by an Orang Asli villager on June 6.
