KOTA BARU: The trauma of spending 47 days lost in the forest as a child remains vivid for survivor Miksudiar Aluj, even 11 years after the ordeal.
Miksudiar, now 22, said the experience continues to haunt her to the extent that she has avoided entering a forest since her rescue in 2015.
"I was 11 years old when my then 10-year-old friend Norieen Yaakob and I went missing in the Bertam forest near Pos Tohoi in August that year.
"We were lost for 47 days and the ordeal remains fresh in my memory.
"I have not gone into a forest again since then due to lingering fear," she told Sinar Harian in a recent interview.
ALSO READ: Missing Orang Asli children could have feared punishment
The girls were found alive, but five of their friends died in what became one of the country’s most heartbreaking missing-persons tragedies.
Recalling the ordeal, Miksudiar said she could hear the voices of people searching for her and Norieen, but never managed to see them.
She said that throughout the 47 days they spent in the jungle, they did not encounter anyone involved in the search and rescue (SAR) operation.
"We were surrounded by trees.
"We survived by eating leaves and wild fruits while hiding near a river, occasionally coming out when we were hungry," she said.
ALSO READ: Orang asli girls weigh about 15kg but in stable condition
When they were eventually rescued, Miksudiar was found suffering from severe malnutrition, significant weight loss and emotional trauma.
She received medical treatment and counselling at Hospital Raja Perempuan Zainab II here.
Miksudiar said that despite meeting Norieen several times over the years, they have never discussed the tragedy.
"I do not want to recall the incident. Besides, we are safe and happy with our lives now. Norieen is married and has a child," she said.
The fifth of eight siblings, Miksudiar lives in Kampung Gawin near Pos Gob in Gua Musang and works with her family planting vegetables.
ALSO READ: Don't repeat history over orang asli schoolkids deaths
On Aug 23, 2015, seven Orang Asli pupils from SK Tohoi ran away from their hostel to avoid punishment after bathing in a river near the school without their teachers’ permission.
Their disappearance shocked the nation as days turned into weeks without any news of their whereabouts.
Then Kelantan police chief Datuk Mazlan Lazim said Miksudiar and Norieen were found 3.3km from the SAR operations centre at 12.15pm, sheltering beneath exposed tree roots along the banks of Sungai Perias.
The bodies of their five friends – Ika Ayel, nine; Haikal Yaakob, Sasa Sobrie and Linda Rosli, all aged eight; and Juvina David, seven – were later discovered in the forest.
