A SINGAPOREAN man was reported missing, believed lost while hiking in the Panti Timur Forest Reserve, Kota Tinggi, yesterday.

Kota Tinggi police chief Hussin Zamora said police received information about the incident from a local man at 3.26pm.

He said the man, a friend of the hiker, alerted the police that he had lost contact with Jason Ren Jie, who is in his 30s, while hiking with him in the forest.

“They started climbing at around 11.30am. The man said they became separated at about 1pm. The man said he was walking in front, with the lost hiker behind him,” he said in a statement today.

Following which, he said a team from Batu Ampat police station was dispatched to the scene.

Their search and rescue operation was also assisted by the Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department from Kota Tinggi fire and rescue station, as well as the Forestry Department, he added.

“As of 11.30 last night, the victim has not yet been found, and the search and rescue operation was suspended temporarily. The operation resumes today,” he said. – Bernama, September 18, 2022.