Kuala lumpur: A total of 1,059 accidents involving hiking activities, including 63 fatalities and 87 injuries, were recorded nationwide between 2021 and 2025, the Dewan Rakyat was told today. Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh emphasized the urgent need to strengthen safety measures amid the growing popularity of hiking and forest recreational activities in recent years.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, statistics from the Fire and Rescue Department of Malaysia (JBPM) underscored the necessity for improved safety protocols. To address these concerns, the Peninsular Malaysia Forestry Department (JPSM), backed by funding from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), developed the Mountain Risk Assessment and Management Guideline (MoGRAM). This guideline serves as a technical reference for risk mitigation and managing the carrying capacity of hiking trails.
Syed Ibrahim highlighted that JPSM has mandated the use of Forestry Mountain Guides (MGP) in 189 high-risk hiking areas. These certified guides are crucial for ensuring hiker safety, emergency response, and compliance with hiking practices. To date, 2,322 individuals from local communities, including indigenous communities, have been certified as MGPs through a dedicated skills development program.
In response to a question from Datuk Mohd Isam Mohd Isa (BN-Tampin), Syed Ibrahim detailed the ministry's efforts to establish a national safety standard for hiking trails across the country. He elaborated that the JPSM is developing a hiking trail management system using geospatial technology, geographic information systems (GIS), and remote sensing in collaboration with the Malaysian Space Agency (MySA). This system aims to enhance the mapping and monitoring of hiking trails, centralize trail information management, and improve search and rescue (SAR) operations through more precise spatial analysis.
Currently, the registration of hiking activities in Permanent Reserved Forests (HSKs) is managed either manually or through online platforms administered by state forestry departments. However, the ministry believes that a national digital hiking registration log system could significantly bolster the safety, monitoring, and management of hiking activities by systematically recording hikers' movements and expediting emergency tracing processes.
Moreover, Syed Ibrahim stressed the importance of the skills and welfare of MGPs and nature guides, who play a frontline role in ensuring hiker safety. The ministry conducts regular training and certification programs focusing on hiking safety, risk management, first aid, survival skills, and SAR techniques.