COMMENT | One hundred and fourteen hikers got lost this year alone and needed rescuing from the Fire and Rescue Department.

This was not only in hardcore jungle but even in “urban forests” such as Bukit Kiara, Kuala Lumpur (10 people went astray on May 9) and Bukit Jambul, Penang, said Fire and Rescue Department director-general Nor Hisham Mohammad.

I have been a hiker for some 30 years and love being in the forest. It’s a healthy, low-cost hobby to enjoy nature and make new friends. But just like driving, cycling or scuba diving, there are safety rules. I was lucky to learn about these from the Malaysian Nature Society.

But I have also joined other groups where there was not even a “sweeper” – the last person at the back who ensures that stragglers don’t get lost. He will also tell them they must turn back if they pass a safety deadline to reach the peak.

Yet, I remember meeting young yahoos on...