Campsite disaster signal to improve adventure industry

 

So, as usual, after a disaster, there will be a spate of official “actions”, or rather “reactions”. And the landslide that hit the campsite at Batang Kali, Selangor has been no different.

I am sure most have good intentions over a disaster that has shocked the country. But could some of the new ministers have jumped the gun a wee bit too fast in their eagerness to perform their duties?

For example, Local Government Development Minister Nga Kor Ming from DAP announced the campsite that got hit was unlicensed and the operators face up to three years jail and/or a RM50,000 fine.

Not true, said Selangor state executive councillor in charge of tourism and environment Hee Loy Sian from PKR. He said the state “has no specific guidelines” on setting up tents on private land.

He added that camping now needs to be regulated as it became a mass tourism activity only after the Covid lockdowns.

So, who is correct? The DAP or PKR man? Since land is a state matter, are the latter’s views more relevant?

It’s also pertinent to ask, why pick on little powerless campers when the big boys want to develop 5,700ha of mountain lands around Genting Highlands and Bentong?

The Rimba Disclosure Project has revealed that these forests are marked as “environmentally sensitive areas” (ESA) rank 1 and 2 zones where no development should be allowed.

This includes 220ha of the Genting-Hulu Selangor Special Development Plan, the same district where Batang Kali lies.

Anyway, it’s probably fair to say that outdoor activities, be it camping, hiking, rock climbing, kayaking, scuba diving, caving, or cycling, have not really been properly controlled by the government. Some of these have become popular only in recent years.

So the recent landslide disaster is an opportunity for us to improve - not just regulate - things. Here are some suggestions: 

1) Don’t demonise

Firstly, don’t demonise outdoor enthusiasts. Some on social media have made it sound as if the campers at Batang Kali were totally “irresponsible”. Yet, this is actually a healthy, family hobby during the school holidays.

How were the campers to know that clogged, poorly maintained drains way up above - along the road to Gohtong Jaya - probably led to waterlogging, which then caused the whole hill slope to collapse?

This is believed to be the root of the disaster, according to former Public Works Department (JKR) director-general Roslan Md Taha.

Are we Malaysians supposed to be on standby for every darn slope in this blessed country to collapse at any time? Should all people living in hilly areas therefore evacuate?

Camping provides not only a cheap family holiday in these difficult economic times but also quality time doing things together – setting up the tent, outdoor cooking, river swimming – rather than having kids nagging parents endlessly to buy this and that at the shopping mall.

2) Don’t overreact

Secondly, please don’t overreact with knee-jerk announcements. Nga ordered all 155 local councils nationwide to immediately vacate all campsites by the rivers, waterfalls and hillsides for seven days, following forecasts of rain.

Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi gave similar “advice”. However, the warnings of rain were actually for the east coast, while the west coast has had semi-sunny weather in the days since the tragedy.

I understand that the good minister is concerned for safety but how do we draw the line? I have been to many campsites which are perfectly safe from flash floods, as they occupy elevated ground above previous high water marks, even though they are next to, but above, rivers.

Is it fair to close down such safe places during this peak school holiday season? When the government itself admits that it lacks guidelines on campsites?

In contrast, Sabah’s Local Government and Housing Minister Masidi Manjun said no campsites have been closed in Sabah so far despite the bad weather because the state has “always been careful” to avoid choosing landslide-prone areas for such sites.

On the day before the tragedy, JKR warned that over 1,000 slopes along federal roads are at risk of landslides during this rainy season.

They include the East-West Highway and the roads up to Fraser’s Hill and Cameron Highlands - from both Tapah and Simpang Pulai.

In fact, if you Google “PWD road landslide monsoon season”, you will see that these warnings have been repeated almost every year!

Why has this problem not been fixed after so long? Will giving warnings excuse the authorities if anything happens? Even near Batang Kali, landslides on the roads to Genting Highlands have been recurring over the years, with the last incident just days before, on Dec 11.

Should all these hilly roads be closed? At least to tourists? Is that an “overreaction”? What if, touch wood, a landslide buries a bus and kills say 30 people?

3) Sensitive rules

If we don’t demonise or overreact, the obvious solution is to plan ahead rationally and skillfully. I have been to many paid campsites and my own safety rules are: 

a) try to camp further above the river level, as it may rise suddenly during storms.

b) look out for sickly tree branches that may fall on your tent.

c) and now, the new rule - avoid camping near big hill slopes during the rainy season.

It would be great if campsite owners look out for these things beforehand, for instance by zoning off risky areas or cutting off sickly tree branches.

My hiking sifu Kelvin Yee, who leads the Trailblazers Hiking Club Malaysia, suggested, “Campsite operators should go through yearly inspections by outdoor safety experts as well as technical experts such as civil engineers or geologists.”

“Even hotels or buildings need approval from the Fire Department and other government departments before allowing people to go in.”

He also suggested a rating system for campsites, so that campers can make informed choices.

At the same time, we have to consider the harm of stifling over-regulation, making it difficult for the camping industry to take off. As mentioned above, don’t overreact.

Also, any rules should be clear and based on objective criteria, rather than subject to the discretion of enforcement officials, because that becomes an avenue for corruption.

Conclusion

There are many other aspects of how rules governing various outdoor pursuits can be improved, but I will leave that for another article.

The bottom line is that we are a country blessed with majestic forests, waterfalls, and rivers. Don’t forget our crystal clear seas, amazing - though damaged - coral reefs, dreamy beaches, and stunning islands.

Both local and foreign tourists pay good money to hike up our mountains, explore our caves, dive among our islands, and kayak our seas.

Apart from the ringgit value, we the rakyat deserve to enjoy this country’s natural treasures, even at minimal cost, as a matter of national pride.

In other words, if we manage the safety, sustainability, and charm of our adventure industry properly, we will reap rich rewards, whether in terms of revenue or pure happiness. - Mkini

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ANDREW SIA is a veteran journalist who likes teh tarik khau kurang manis. You are welcome to give him ideas to brew at tehtarik@gmail.com.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of MMKtT.