GUA MUSANG, Nov 15 — The police have denied claims by an Orang Asli Rela team that its members were not supplied with food during a search and rescue (SAR) operation to locate the last missing Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Tohoi pupil.
District police chief, Supt Saiful Bahri Abdullah said that was not the reason why the Orang Asli members ceased to participate in joint operations with other security agencies.
He said the strength of the SAR team had rather diminished, involving only the police, Civil Defence Department (CDD) and the villagers.
“It is not true that we failed to provide food to the Orang Asli RELA members...we provided food to all the staff at all times during the SAR which has lasted for more than two months,” said Saiful Bahri when met here today.
He said the SAR was ongoing to locate missing pupil Sasa Sobrie, eight. In the incident on August 23, seven SK Tohoi Orang Asli pupils had fled from the school to avoid punishment for bathing in a nearby river.
After being lost in a forest area for almost 50 days, four of them, namely Ika Ayel, nine, Haikal Yaacob and Linda Rosli, both eight, and Juvina David, seven, were found dead.
Two others, Miksudiar Aluj, 11, and Norieen Yaacob, 10, were found alive but in a state of starvation and dehydration. — Bernama
