Another tree falls, another S'porean dies. Experts say of Gunung Ledang:
It's not a place to fool around

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ANOTHER Singaporean man has died after being hit by a falling tree on Mount Ophir.

Mr Abdul Razak Abdul Hamid is the second Singaporean to die tragically on Mount Ophir in less than a week.

The 48-year-old Changi Airport security officer was killed around 10pm on Saturday when a tree fell his tent, following a storm.

He was killed not far from where 27-year-old trainee teacher Mohammad Rohaizam Tumadi died on 15May, after his tent was hit by a falling tree.

To Singaporeans, Mount Ophir is simply a popular trekking and camping destination.

But to locals, it is Gunung Ledang, a place associated with folk lore and mythical stories about a princess, Puteri Gunung Ledang, and her magical powers and enchantments.

And with two deaths happening so close to each other, as well as the mountain being the site of many freak accidents and tragedies, is there more than meets the eye to this forested peak?

Experienced climbers say the 1,276m-high Mount Ophir, on the border of Malacca and Johor, about 50km from Muar, is no walk in the park.

Everest conqueror and veteran adventurer Khoo Swee Chiow says that sometimes, accidents can happen when Singaporeans do not show enough respect for the places they visit.

Said Mr Khoo: 'Superstitious or not, people have got lost and people have died on Mount Ophir.

'Do not underestimate the place. It is not a place to fool around in.'

Mr Khoo said that Singaporeans tend to be complacent on Mount Ophir because of its reputation of being an 'easy' mountain to climb.

'So many Singaporeans have been there and come back with stories that even children can climb the mountain.

'When people get complacent, that's when the danger sets in. I've previously come across groups of first-time climbers who have gone to Mount Ophir without a guide or a map, thinking it's easy.

'Then they end up losing their way.'

A Singaporean man was lost for five days on Mount Ophir in November 1998 before he found his way out to a nearby village.

Before 2003, the year Mount Ophir was designated a national park, at least three or four groups of Singaporeans would get lost there every year.

Since then, it has been compulsory for trekkers to be accompanied by rangers who have gone up the mountain more than 100 times.

More than 20,000 Singaporeans visit the mountain annually.

Said Mr Khoo: 'For any mountain-climbing trip, always go with a local guide or someone who is very familiar with the mountain. Even maps may not be detailed enough to guide you through.'

Mr Leong Kwok Khuen, 40, founder of Edu Outdoor Activities, agreed that often, Singaporean climbers who scale Mount Ophir are not adequately prepared.

Said Mr Leong: 'They go with expensive shoes that are not suitable for climbing. Instead of getting proper trekking shoes, they're in their tennis or gym shoes, which often do not provide proper grip and can be slippery.

'And some people may venture off the designated routes when they see something that attracts their attention, such as a waterfall.

'They try to go near the waterfall, which is very dangerous because the track near the waterfall is slippery and near a slope. People can slip and hurt themselves or even die.'

Veteran adventurers say there are certain basic rules campers should follow.

For example, avoid setting up camp near tall trees, in a valley, or in a large open area.

Said Mr Ben Lee, 45, head of Nature Trekker: 'Tall trees attract lightning and have a higher probability of falling.

'In an open area, your tent can get blown away.

'And in a low-lying area, there's a chance of being trapped in a flood if it should rain.'

Mr Lee said it's best to pick a spot near a low tree or building, which can protect a tent against the wind.

In addition to basic camping fundamentals and common sense aside, some also believe in showing respect for local legends and folklore.

Said Mr Khoo: 'On Everest, the local guides have this practice of performing certain prayers before proceeding on a difficult route.

'Do not take such things lightly or dismiss it as superstition.

'I'm not aware of any local practice on Mount Ophir, but wherever you go, do not do things that the locals would not do.

'Always respect the place that you're visiting.'

• IN the early hours of 15 May, first-year National Institute of Education (NIE) trainee Mohammad Rohaizam Tumadi was killed by a falling tree on Mount Ophir.
  
  He had been sleeping in his tent when the incident happened.
  The National University of Singapore history graduate was completing a seven-day camping course conducted by the NIE.
  
  
  
• In May 2002, Madam Ivy Ng, a 32-year-old photo shop manager dislocated her left shoulder and sprained her left foot when she lost her grip on the rope three quarters up the mountain and fell, rolling about 10m (four storeys) down a slope before a tree broke her fall.
  
  
  
• In November 1998, six climbers, including four Singaporeans, were lost for several days in the jungles of Mount Ophir before they were rescued by a team of 10 General Operations Force personnel and a ranger.
  
  
  
• In August 1997, five Singaporeans were lost for two days while trying to scale the mountain. They eventually followed a stream to reach a rubber plantation.
  
  
• In September 1995, a NUS undergrad, Miss Leong Sheau Ling, 19, died after falling off the Air Pernas waterfall at the mountain.
  
  She was with 13 other campus friends when the accident happened.
  
  
  
• In May 1994, Mr Pang Shui Fu, 29, an assistant engineer, is believed to have slipped and fallen into a lake at Mount Ophir.
  
  His friends managed to pull him out but he died on the way to hospital.
  
  
  
• In November 1992, 21 Singaporean students and teachers and 28 Malaysians were trapped at the foothills of the mountain for half a day after heavy torrential rains.
  
  During the rescue, a Malaysian fire officer died when he fell into the Asahan River and was swept away. One of the Singaporeans also almost drowned in the flooded river while trying to get help.
  
  
  
• In April 1991, Mr Wesley Sim Chin Shing, 24, a die designer, plunged about 200m to his death at Bukit Emas on Mount Ophir. Mr Sim, an experienced climber, died of head injuries.
  
  
  
• In June 1990, Mr Koh Moh Shean, 19, a Ngee Ann Polytechnic student, was swept away by strong currents at a waterfall on Ophir.
  
  He had gone hiking with 11 schoolmates, and was sitting on a rack when a powerful surge of water, believed to have been caused by a sudden downpour, flung him into the river.
  

Labels: Misadventure