SEREMBAN, Aug 7 — Villagers around The Dusun resort where the search for missing Irish teenager Nora Anne Quoirin is ongoing believe she is no longer in the area.
Malay Mail spoke to some of the Orang Asli from the communities nearby who have joined the search for the 15-year-old who arrived here last Sunday for a two-week family holiday but went missing the following day.
One of the locals who only wants to be known as “Pak” said the surrounding jungle is their “playground” since they were born here and they know the place well.
Pak said there were two cases of individuals getting lost in the jungle area surrounding the resort before this and with the help of the locals, they managed to find both within 24 hours.
“It is Day Four now, impossible she is still here. Even if she fainted or anything untoward happened while she is lost... the police canine (K9) unit would have detected her scent.
“Furthermore, we ourselves searched all the difficult areas and showed the search team, the vicinity around the search zone where the terrain is difficult and dangerous,” Pak said while taking a break from the search this afternoon.
Another local who also wished to remain anonymous said if Nora Anne had wandered off she wouldn’t have gone too deep into the jungle as there was hilly terrain which would have made her feel weak after trekking for some time.
“Doesn’t make sense if she lost her way and continued hiking upwards to the hilly jungle area.
“If she is still around, she would be wandering near the 2km river down the hill or by the road side.
“So my point is the police have searched all the area around the hilly terrain, impossible for Nora Anne to keep moving up and down several times,” he said.
Another local also told Malay Mail the lax security at the resort could mean an unknown individual was in the area.
“There are no security guards at the The Dusun area or proper CCTV to watch the surroundings. There are also easy exits even if the main gate is locked.
“I was also told by the police on the particular day of the incident that the main gate was not locked. So it could be anyone coming in and out,” he said, adding that he hoped the police will now widen investigations into other possibilities.
The Fire and Rescue Department is still searching within the river area again in hopes of Nora Anne returning to get water.
The Seremban Fire and Rescue station chief Mohammad Idris said though they have already searched the river for the past three days, the team found nothing positive but assured that they will still continue with their efforts today.
“We hope she will return or find her way to get some water as this is the only river here.
“Today we also deployed our divers to intensify the search,” he told Malay Mail.
Yesterday, Negri Sembilan Police Chief Datuk Mohamad Mat Yusof said the teen is believed to have left the resort in Jalan Pantai only in her undergarments, as that was the last outfit she was seen sleeping in, according to statements from her parents.
Mohamad said sniffer dogs used in the operation were only able to trace the odour of the victim on the first day of the operation and as far as 100m from the chalet occupied by the teen.
He added the rescue team faced challenges as the scent would have slowly subsided the following day and sniffer dogs could no longer detect Nora Anne’s scent.
Mohamad said the department still classified Nora Anne’s case as a missing person and rubbished rumours of abduction, as claimed by family members.
The CCTV at the resort did not capture the image of the teen leaving the resort.
Nora Anne who has a learning disability, arrived in Negri Sembilan with her parents and two other siblings on Sunday for a two-week holiday at The Dusun, near here, before she was found missing by her family at 8am the following day.
A window in the room, which could only be opened from the inside, was found open.
Nora Anne’s aunt, Aisling Agnew, said the teen would never leave her family voluntarily.
Police, the Fire and Rescue Department, the Malaysian Civil Defence Force (APM), Rela and the Negri Sembilan Forestry Department and local villagers are still searching the area for the teen.
K9 units were also spotted today as early as 8am.
