A Malaysian man has been found by indigenous villagers after surviving for 23 days in the jungles near the popular tourist destination of the Cameron Highlands, reports said today.

Mohamed Nordin Omar was found yesterday by three "orang asli" - Malaysia's original people whose jungle skills are legendary - unconscious and slumped on a rock, the New Straits Times said.

On expedition

The 44-year-old surveyor had gone missing while on an expedition with three other colleagues to survey the rugged highlands region, around 170km north of Kuala Lumpur.

"At first, we did not think he was alive. When we checked, we found that he was still breathing," rescuer Anuar Anyam told the daily.

The three orang asli had been returning from a fishing expedition in the rivers deep in the jungle near the Cameron Highlands.