TAPAH, May 30 — A team has been deployed to retrieve surveillance camera chips around the Gunung Batu Putih hiking trail here to monitor whether a female hiker reported missing for the past week was detected passing through the area.

Perak Fire and Rescue Department assistant operations director Sabarodzi Nor Ahmad said the task was jointly undertaken by a Protection Team from the National Parks and Wildlife Department (Perhilitan) and 16 rescue personnel.

He said they were deployed this morning to the search location using an AW139 aircraft via the latest winching point at Kem Kantoi.

“The Protection Team, together with the rescue team, will retrieve surveillance camera chips around the trail area to monitor whether the victim can be detected through the surveillance camera route.

“The total number of rescue personnel deployed and stationed at the search location this morning is 50,” he said in a statement today.

Meanwhile, the Perak Mountain Guides Association, in a Facebook post, said the operation to locate the victim, Jaslinda Saludin, 49, had also received support from mountain guide communities from outside the state, who came to strengthen the search mission.

“We seek everyone’s prayers that Jaslinda will be found as soon as possible. This search is highly challenging as its radius covers elevations of around 3,000 to 7,000 feet and is very extensive. So far, all parties are doing their best,” the post said.

Jaslinda began the Trans Spencer Chapman hike at 2 am on May 23 with 13 other individuals and two Forestry Mountain Guides (MGPs) via the Pos Gedung-Gunung Bah Gading-Gunung Batu Putih-Kuala Woh route.

Jaslinda and another hiker, Mohd Hanafi Neikmad, 41, reportedly experienced health issues and stopped, but Jaslinda subsequently continued the journey to the mountain summit and was last seen by an MGP on May 24 at 7.30am. — Bernama