Landslide cuts off main access route for 3,000 Orang Asli villagers in Gua Musang
GUA MUSANG: Around 3,000 Orang Asli residents from Pos Simpor and Pos Gob have been cut off after a landslide occurred in Kampung Penad, Pos Simpor — the main access route in and out of their villages.
As a result, 19 residents from Pos Simpor were forced to endure a gruelling 10-hour journey to exit the area.
Orang Asli Village Development and Security Committee chairman for Pos Simpor, Jamil Jabon said that frequent rainfall in the area, particularly in the evenings, contributed to the landslide.
He said the incident was discovered around 9am yesterday while he and several villagers were travelling out of the settlement to attend to matters in Gua Musang town.
"Upon reaching Kampung Penad, we found that nearly two metres of the road was buried under soil and fallen trees from the slope of Bukit Kawug.
"We had to carry our motorcycles one by one through the landslide area, which extended our journey time to about nine hours, compared to the usual three.
"We have informed the Orang Asli Development Department (Jakoa) so that further action can be taken," he said when met at the Kuala Betis Resettlement Scheme (RPS) today.
Pos Simpor resident Mohd Syafiq Dendi Abdullah, 32, expressed hope that the damaged route would be repaired quickly to facilitate villagers' daily needs.
He said the road was a vital access point for both Pos Simpor and Pos Gob residents.
"The incident likely resulted from continuous rainfall from around 6pm on Friday until early Saturday morning. Before that, the area had also experienced frequent, prolonged rains.
"We hope the debris can be cleared and the road surface levelled as soon as possible. We're especially concerned about emergencies, like getting patients to town for treatment, which could be severely impacted if road repairs are delayed," he said.
Meanwhile, Kelantan and Terengganu Jakoa deputy director Roslina Bun said the agency had received reports of the landslide blocking access to the Orang Asli villages.
She added that discussions would be held with contractors currently upgrading the road and with plantation stakeholders to carry out immediate clearing works.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Straits Times
5 days ago
- New Straits Times
New RM400,000 bridge brings relief to Orang Asli in Gua Musang
GUA MUSANG: The construction of a new RM400,000 bridge across Sungai Balar in Pos Balar, set to begin this month, has brought much-needed relief to more than 1,000 Orang Asli residents in the area. Orang Asli Village Development and Safety Committee chairman Hanan Anjang said he was grateful that the villagers' difficulties had finally received the attention of the authorities. "We are truly thankful to the Department of Orang Asli Development (Jakoa) for its concern over the plight of the Orang Asli community in this remote area," he said when contacted. Hanan said the original structure, a steel suspension bridge, collapsed three months ago after Sungai Balar overflowed following heavy rain in March. "Since then, crossing the river has been very challenging. "We have had to carry motorcycles by hand just to reach Gua Musang town, and many of our children have been unable to attend school. "Over the past three months, we built two makeshift wooden bridges, but both were swept away by rising river levels during heavy rains," he said. Although construction of the permanent bridge, under a design-and-build contract, is expected to begin this month, Hanan said the villagers have agreed to rebuild a temporary crossing in the meantime. Hanan added that the RM400,000 project is expected to be completed within three months. "To ease movement for now, especially for school children, we will reconstruct a temporary bridge across Sungai Balar," he said. It was reported that Jakoa would expedite the construction of the new bridge to replace the original structure, which was washed away by strong currents on March 9. Jakoa director-general Datuk Sapiah Mohd Nor had said that the location, terrain, and weather conditions would be carefully considered during the construction process.
Barnama
25-05-2025
- Barnama
Coordinate Aid To Pos Simpor, Pos Gob During Road Repairs
'Given the current unstable weather conditions, we want to minimise movement to avoid further damage. Aid can be channelled directly through JAKOA,' she said at the closing ceremony of the 2025 National Orang Asli Sports Carnival here last night. On May 17, a landslide damaged the main road to the two villages, home to about 3,000 Orang Asli residents from the Temiar tribe. However, the road has since been repaired and is now passable. Meanwhile, Sapiah said JAKOA has allocated RM3.9 million this year for the Human Capital Development Programme (PMI).
The Star
18-05-2025
- The Star
Landslide cuts off access to two orang asli settlements in Gua Musang
GUA MUSANG: Access to the Pos Simpor and Pos Gob Orang Asli settlements here was cut off Saturday (May 17) after a landslide blocked the main route, affecting over 3,000 residents. The incident, believed to have been caused by continuous heavy rain, forced residents to endure a nearly 10-hour journey to Gua Musang town for daily errands. Mohd Syafiq Dendi Abdullah, 32, from Pos Simpor, said the incident was discovered at about 9am when he and 19 other residents were on their way to town. "When we reached Kampung Penad, we found the road covered with nearly two metres of debris from the collapsed slope at Bukit Kawug. We had to take turns helping each other lift our motorcycles over it. "The trip that usually takes three hours stretched to nine hours because of this incident," he told reporters at the Kuala Betis new resettlement scheme (RPS) here on Sunday (May 18). Another resident from Kampung Gawin, Pos Gob, Along Apok, 40, said the muddy dirt road caused by continuous rain had made travel in and out even more difficult. "It started raining around 6pm on Friday and continued until early Saturday. The interior areas have experienced heavy rain quite often recently, which may have contributed to the slope becoming unstable," he said. Meanwhile, Pos Simpor Orang Asli Village Development and Safety Committee (JPKKOA) chairman Jamil Jabon said they notified the Orang Asli Development Department (Jakoa) immediately after learning about the incident. "We really hope the road cleaning work will be done immediately. If not, emergency cases like taking patients to the hospital could be really difficult," he said. Kelantan and Terengganu Jakoa deputy director Roslina Bun confirmed the incident and said immediate steps were being taken. "Jakoa will talk to the estate and contractors involved in the road repair to get the cleaning work started as soon as possible," she said. – Bernama
