(Bernama pic)KUALA LUMPUR : The natural resources and environmental sustainability ministry is tightening controls on hiking activities nationwide, including restricting “day hikes” or “compressed hikes” in high-risk mountainous areas, to reduce accidents and the need for costly search and rescue (SAR) operations. “The government’s priority is to reduce the risk of hikers getting lost and prevent accidents, thereby minimising the need for SAR operations, which require substantial financial resources and manpower. He was responding to Senator Redzuan Othman, who asked about measures to improve hiker safety and reduce incidents that place a financial burden on government SAR operations. “These measures enable high-risk climbers to be identified early before they are allowed to undertake climbing activities,” he said. Syed Ibrahim said the federal forestry department had also made the services of forestry mountain guides (MGPs) mandatory at 189 high-risk hiking locations nationwide.