JOHOR BARU, Dec 19 — A lone hiker is still missing despite calling to inform in his last location since losing his way while descending from Gunung Pulai near Pulai Hijauan Skudai here yesterday.

Operations commander from the Skudai Fire and Rescue Station (BBP), Mohd Khairi Zainuddin said they received an emergency call about the incident at 8.53pm before nine firefighters were dispatched to the scene.

He said the hiker, Lee Chin Chai, 56, started his descent at 7am yesterday after getting directions from a friend and reportedly used a shortcut to get to the top of the mountain.

"However, at 7pm, his worried sister contacted his friends through WhatsApp and sent pictures to get information about her brother.

"The victim called his sister at 8pm and stated that he has lost his way and managed to give his last location via WhatsApp, but said his phone was almost out of battery,” the senior assistant Fire Superintendent said in a statement today.

Commenting further, Mohd Khairi said the victim’s sister also received information that another climbing group had seen Lee at the top of the mountain at 10am yesterday.

He said the Operation Exit Team (PKO) together with the agencies involved including police, the Army and the Johor Water Company (SAJ) conducted a search using the ‘jungle trekking’ technique at the last location the victim had radioed, at 9.30pm yesterday.

"However, on arrival, the victim was nowhere to be seen at the location, so the army (ATM) fired three shots to get the hiker’s attention.

"Meanwhile, SAJ conducted a search in the lake area by boat at a distance of 15 kilometres from the last location of the missing victim but he has yet to be found,” he said.

The PKO’s search and rescue operation are still ongoing and along with other agencies gathered again at 5am today to resume the search, this time they zeroed in on the area around Ulu Choh. — Bernama