Missing Orang Asli man found drowned in disused mining pool

ALOR GAJAH: A 33-year-old Orang Asli man from the Jakun tribe was found drowned in a disused mining pool here on Tuesday (March 14).

OCPD Supt Arshad Abu said the victim Jerrey Juli from Kubang Badak in Tebong was believed to have gone to the quarry at Solok Menggong in Machap Baru here to carry out fishing activities with two of his friends.

He said police received a missing persons report at 10.30pm on Monday (March 13).

Supt Arshad said a search and rescue operation was activated on the same day and resumed early Tuesday.

"After the victim dived into the mining pool to cast a fishing net, he was nowhere to be seen.

"His friends tried frantically to search for him before alerting the authorities," he said.

A Melaka Fire and Rescue Department spokesman said the victim's body was retrieved at about 9.15am on Tuesday.

The victim's wife Selipang Sanjan, 30, said her husband was an experienced diver and had been going to the site to catch fish for the past one decade.

Selipang said she had also accompanied him before the tragedy.

"The water level in the mining pool is not that deep so I believe he could have gotten stuck in a mudpot underwater.

"I accept it as fate," she said when contacted.

The Jakun is the third largest group among the Orang Asli community in Peninsular Malaysia.