JOHOR BARU: The monsoon season has put a damper on outdoor enthusiasts, who wish to go mountain hiking or visit the forest parks.
Johor Forestry Department director Datuk Salim Aman said visitors to the state’s eco parks and mountains have reduced during the long holiday last weekend.
“This might be due to the monsoon season now. There has been heavy downpours lately and weather has always been a factor to pull in visitors to these places,” he said when contacted yesterday.
Salim said the department has taken various steps, including closely monitoring the weather forecasts and reports from the Meteorological Department, to safeguard visitors.
“In the case of a change of weather, our personnel are always on standby and it is important to make sure that the tourists are able to get out safely,” he said.
Salim also said that all of the forest parks and mountains including the hills under the department are open to the public.
“However, if there is continuous heavy rain for more than a day, then the parks and mountains in the respective district will be closed as a safety precaution,” he added.
There are eight well-known eco parks and 18 mountains in Johor. They include Gunung Arong Recreational Forest in Mersing, Panti Forest Eco Park (Kota Tinggi), Gunung Pulai Recreational Forest (Kulai) and Sungai Bantang Recreational Forest (Labis).
