Desiree Tresa Gasper The Star 23 Dec 11;
JOHOR BARU: A group of 21 Singaporeans who were rescued from the flood-hit part of Endau Rompin National Park entered the area illegally as the park was closed to the public due to the monsoon season.
Johor National Parks Corporation director Suhairi Hashim said they did not have permits to enter the park and also defied warnings by a park official to stay away from the area.
This was contrary to a report by a Singapore daily that the group were not warned about weather conditions and that they had permits.
Suhairi said that before entering, the group members who visited the National Park office in Kahang were informed that the park has been closed to the public.
“Our officer in Kahang explained to them that the area was prone to floods.
“However, there are no gates to prevent people from entering.”
“We only knew that they had gone into the park when the group members called us for help after flood waters cut off all access,” he said.
He explained that the group were trapped on their way out of the park and was eventually forced to spend the night at the park's complex.
“We tried to help them as much as we could and even got a medical unit to drop by and treat a one-year-old child who was part of the group,” he said, adding that the child was down with fever.
“The group's guide suggested that we allow them to use boats to exit the area but the waters were too choppy and we advised them against it,” he said.
Suhairi said he eventually called the Mersing Fire and Rescue Department which sent a helicopter to transport the group out on Dec 20.
“I also personally called the Singapore Consulate to arrange for a bus for the group to travel back to Singapore,” he said.
The report by the Singapore daily had quoted some of the members as saying they did not receive any medical attention and were only saved after they got in touch with the Singapore Ministry of Foreign Affairs via satellite phone.
21 stranded visitors rescued
Jassmine Shadioe New Straits Times 21 Dec 11;
MERSING: TWENTY-ONE Singaporeans, including a year-old, stranded in the Endau-Rompin National Park for two days, were rescued yesterday.
The group and three locals, who entered the park without permission, were flown out by Fire and Rescue Department's helicopters about noon.
Johor National Parks Corporation director Suhairi Hashim said the Singaporeans had sought permission to enter the park from officers at its branch in Kahang on Dec 17, but their application was rejected because of the bad weather which could cause floods and landslides.
"The area has been cordoned off and has not been opened to the public since Dec 1 as it was not safe. However, it was learnt that the Singaporeans sneaked into the park on five four-wheel drive vehicles."
The journey into the national park from Kahang town is through a 56km dirt road. Because of the constant downpour, the road was muddy and slippery.
The Singaporeans arrived at the park's office late in the evening and the officers-in-charge had no choice but to allow them to spend the night at its chalet.
"It was already getting dark by then and if the officers had told the Singaporeans to turn back, it would have put them in greater danger, in addition to the risk of being attacked by wild elephants," Suhairi said.
The next day, the park officers accompanied the visitors out, but they were stranded at Sungai Lembakoh, when flood waters cut off their access route.
The visitors were taken back to the chalets. The park officers radioed for food supplies to be flown in as the park had been closed since Dec 1.
However, by 12.45pm yesterday, the Singaporeans, and the three locals who had helped get them into the park, were flown out by the Fire and Rescue Department Air Unit's Mi-8 helicopters based in Subang, Selangor.
The visitors returned to Singapore by bus.
Suhairi said the Johor National Parks Corporation had alerted the Tourism Department about the closure of the Endau-Rompin National Park and posted it on their official website and Facebook
He added that the park had heavy rain about the same time of the year, every year, and all travel agents were aware of its closure.
Suhairi urged people not to trespass into the national parks as it is very dangerous.
Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs thanked the Malaysian authorities for mounting the rescue mission.
The Singaporeans were in good health and had since arrived in the republic, the ministry said in a statement.
