Malaysia tightens hiking rules after rescue surge

Malaysia's government is imposing stricter regulations on hiking after a surge in social media-driven trekkers getting stranded, leading to soaring rescue costs. The new rules target risky hiking trends. Rescue teams have conducted 52 operations in the first five months of this year to find 114 lost or stranded people, a 30 percent increase from last year. The operations are resource-intensive, involving aircraft, firefighters, police, and rangers, prompting the environment ministry to act. The ministry will ban "day hikes" or "compressed" hikes in high-risk areas, require health screenings, insurance, and certified guides at 189 locations. Officials cite the "hike-tok" trend, where users post extreme outings, as a key driver of ill-prepared adventurers.