Landslide leaves 1,000 Orang Asli in Pos Gob stranded

GUA MUSANG: A total of 1,000 Orang Asli in Pos Gob here have been stranded since last Friday following a landslide that cut off road links to Kampung Gawin.

Orang Asli Village Security Development Committee (JPKKOA) secretary Aman Pak Ngah said after the incident, villagers could no longer go to the Gua Musang town to carry out their daily affairs or purchase necessities.

"Before this, we could access the road using motorcycles, but we have been standed here since Friday after continuous heavy rain resulted in a landslide about 100 metres from Kampung Gawin.

"In fact, a 4WD team who tried to enter this village to send food supplies using motorcycles had to turn back," he told reporters here today.

A resident of Kampung Gawin, Amat Jali, 45, said he was one of the five villagers who had to stay overnight in the forest last week, during a trip to the Gua Musang town.

"We went out to buy food supplies because the damaged road is only accessible by motorcycles.

"Now, not only the villagers are cut off, but it also affects our source of income because we could not go to other villages to purchase and find forest produce and vegetables," he said.

Meanwhile, the Department of Orang Asli Development (JAKOA) deputy director Kelantan/Terengganu Roslina Bun said the bad weather had hampered efforts to repair the damaged road and promised to resume the works as soon as possible.

"We will go to Pos Gob to conduct road repair and clean-up works once the weather improves," she said.

-- BERNAMA