Malaysia clamps down on social media-fuelled hiking risks

The rescue burden of searching for hikers in remote terrain often requires specialist teams, aircraft and days of searching

Malaysia is tightening controls on high-risk hiking routes after officials linked a growing rescue burden to poor preparation, unauthorised trails and social media-driven summit attempts.

The push is aimed partly at curbing gruelling “compressed hikes”, in which climbers try to complete long or technically demanding routes within a single day, often combining an ascent and descent that would usually be spread over a longer period.

The Fire and Rescue Department recorded 52 cases involving 114 people reported lost in forests and hiking areas during the first five months of this year, local media reported.

The five-month tally already exceeded half of the 88 cases involving 193 people throughout 2025.

Between 2021 and 2025, Malaysia had 1,059 hiking accidents, including 63 deaths and 87 injuries, according to figures presented to parliament last month.

Deputy Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh on Wednesday said the new restrictions were intended to prevent hikers from becoming exhausted, disoriented or stranded in remote terrain, where operations can require specialist teams, aircraft and days of searching.