GUA MUSANG: Access to the Pos Simpor and Pos Gob Orang Asli settlements here was cut off on Saturday after a landslide blocked the main route, affecting over 3,000 residents.
The incident, believed to have been caused by continuous heavy rain, forced residents to endure a nearly 10-hour journey to Gua Musang town for daily errands.
Mohd Syafiq Dendi Abdullah, 32, from Pos Simpor, said the incident was discovered at about 9am when he and 19 other residents were on their way to town.
“When we reached Kampung Penad, we found the road covered with nearly 2m of debris from the collapsed slope at Bukit Kawug. We had to take turns helping each other lift our motorcycles over it.
“The trip that usually takes three hours stretched to nine hours because of this incident,” he told reporters at the Kuala Betis new resettlement scheme yesterday, Bernama reported.
Along Apok, 40, another resident from Kampung Gawin, Pos Gob, said the muddy dirt road caused by continuous rain had made travel in and out even more difficult.
“It started raining around 6pm on Friday and continued until early Saturday. The interior areas have experienced heavy rain quite often recently, which may have contributed to the slope becoming unstable,” he said.
Meanwhile, Pos Simpor Orang Asli Village Development and Safety Committee chairman Jamil Jabon said they notified the Orang Asli Development Department (Jakoa) immediately after learning about the incident.
“We really hope the road clearing work will be carried out immediately. If not, emergency cases like taking patients to hospital could become very difficult,” he said.
Kelantan and Terengganu Jakoa deputy director Roslina Bun confirmed the incident and said immediate steps are being taken.
“Jakoa will coordinate with the estate and contractors involved in the road repair to get the clearing work started as soon as possible,” she said.
