KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 7 — The silence from his son’s family has left Wan Zairudin Wan Ismail fearing that something may have gone wrong during their hike through the Kelantan forest.

His son Wan Ahmad Aslam, 39, daughter-in-law Siti Zulaiha Norizan, 39, grandchildren Diya Raisha, 13, and Ahmad Raef, 9, and their two mountain guides have been missing since failing to emerge from the forest as scheduled last Thursday.

“I am worried that someone may have been injured,” Wan Zairudin, 66, who lives in Shah Alam, Selangor, was quoted by The New Straits Times as saying today.

The family was last heard from on September 1, when Siti Zulaiha messaged her mother-in-law to say they were safe and expected to reach Pos Kemar in Perak two days later.

Wan Zairudin is also concerned that the group may be running out of food, as their supplies were expected to last only six or seven days.

The six were reported missing after they failed to return as scheduled and repeated attempts to contact them were unsuccessful.

Wan Zairudin lodged a police report at the Bukit Jelutong police station in Shah Alam two days ago.

The Fire and Rescue Department launched a search and rescue operation today, including a helicopter-assisted search to locate the group and trace the route they were believed to have taken.

“My son is a project manager in Yong Peng, Johor, while my daughter-in-law works in Simpang Renggam. They often go hiking with their two children, and the longest they had ever stayed in the forest beyond their scheduled exit was just one day,” he said.

“This time, however, it is worrying as they have now gone four days without sufficient food.”

Wan Zairudin said he had sent the family to Terminal Bersepadu Selatan in Cheras on Aug 29 to catch a bus to Gua Musang, while their car was left at his home in Shah Alam.

The family was due to return by bus from either Gerik or Kuala Kangsar last Thursday before travelling back to Yong Peng, with the children expected to return to school after the holidays ended yesterday.

Wan Zairudin said his son had chosen the Trans GBB route, which he had never attempted before, as part of his plan to complete several mountain expeditions in Malaysia before taking his family to climb Mount Kinabalu next year.

“I am worried that someone may have been injured, perhaps suffering a sprained ankle and being unable to move. Without outside help, it would be difficult for them to get out of the forest,” he said.

Wan Zairudin said the family knew Trans GBB was among the more challenging hiking routes.

He and his wife planned to travel to Gerik today, where search and rescueoperations room had been set up, to seek the latest updates on their family.