KUALA LUMPUR – The Forestry Department of Peninsular Malaysia believes that an additional RM5 million from the upcoming Budget 2025 should be allocated to the Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Ministry (NRES) to improve the standards of future search-and-rescue missions.
The department believes that a larger allocation this year would enable them to purchase better equipment and organise more programmes for their search-and-rescue officials.
Reflecting on last year’s budget, a total of RM7.1 billion was allocated to the NRES Ministry, up from RM6.5 billion from the previous year.
Speaking to Scoop, Forestry Department director Mohamad Yussainy Yusop said that a higher allocation would also allow the department to upgrade security protocols in jungles, rivers, and mountains across the peninsular to better protect the public.
“Last year, our department received an allocation of RM2 million, and if we were to get an extra RM3 million, we could do much more to safeguard the public. Now, some of the search-and-rescue equipment we are using is a bit outdated, and we need to upgrade it.
“We are looking at sending our search-and-rescue officials abroad for several programmes and providing them with more training so they can improve their service to the public.
“For now, we are working with the army for training purposes, and we are planning to recruit more officials in the coming years as we aim to expand our efforts. Additionally, we are also planning to introduce programmes to educate the public on the dos and don’ts to prevent them from becoming victims.
“I don’t foresee any issue with the ministry granting us more funds, as we all share the same goal of serving the public and protecting the environment,” Yussainy said when met after a press conference organised by the Forestry Department in Kepong yesterday.
According to the Statistics Department, there were 91 drowning deaths of children aged 0-14 years between 2017 and 2024 in rivers. Of the total, 74% were boys.
Between 2018 and 2024, around 2,000 cases of missing hikers were recorded nationwide, according to a Forestry Department study.
Among the top locations for missing hiker cases were Bukit Jambul, Broga Hill, Gunung Gua Rimau, Gunung Singai, Puncak Jelapang, and Gunung Pulai, with a combined total of 1,200 cases.
It was reported that three youths went missing while trekking at Gunung Keriang in Kedah in May this year. – October 15, 2024