MERSING: The Pantai Mawar area has been temporarily closed from Tuesday (Feb 7) until a date to be announced later, said Mersing district officer Mohammed Shakib Ali.
He said the closure follows the ongoing search and rescue (SAR) operation for a private higher education institution (IPTS) student, Muhamad Akmal Hakimi Ishak, 20, who is believed to have gone missing after going on a solo hike at a hill in Pulau Mawar.
"This (closure) is in line with the ruling issued by the authorities about the closure of risky recreational areas during the Northeast Monsoon season," he said through a notice posted on the Mersing District Office’s Facebook page.
He said in the event of an emergency, the public should contact the Mersing District Security Committee authorities at 07-7998831.
Muhamad Akmal's father lodged a missing persons report at the Kluang police station on Feb 3 after his son did not return home since Feb 1.
Police later found a motorcycle, believed to belong to the victim, near the Pulau Mawar area on Feb 3 at about 11.30am, after which a SAR operation was launched at 5pm on the same day. - Bernama
