Planning a hike in Malaysia for your IG reels? Rules tightened amid rising, costly rescues

Amid rising numbers of costly search and rescue (SAR) operations mounted for those who became lost or stranded in remote locations, Malaysia is tightening hiking rules. Data from the Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) shows that there were 52 cases of lost hikers in the first five months of 2026 — an increase of nearly 30 per cent compared...