A WOMAN hiker who was found safe after surviving 14 days lost in the jungle near Gunung Batu Putih has recounted her harrowing ordeal, revealing that she survived without food and relied entirely on natural water sources, including water collected from pitcher plants.
Jaslinda Saludin, 49, said she endured extreme physical and mental hardship throughout her time alone in the forest, describing repeated falls, exhaustion and disorientation as she struggled to find her way out of dense jungle terrain.
“I had no food, I didn’t eat for two weeks. I drank water… dark water, brown water, water from pitcher plants. So let’s all be grateful to be alive,” Bernama quoted Jaslinda saying in a 32-second video shared on social media.
In additional footage circulating online, Jaslinda described how she repeatedly fell while attempting to navigate the difficult terrain, at times circling the same area without realising it before eventually moving towards higher ground.
“In the journey, I fell many times. I kept going round in circles in the same place and ending up at the same area.
“So, I changed direction to the right, and that is how I found the hill. There were two hills, but before that I had already climbed the mountain,” she said.
She also described moments of extreme distress during her ordeal, saying she often felt close to death as she battled exhaustion and harsh terrain conditions.
“It felt like I was going to die because the ground was very soft, going up and down repeatedly. There was water there, so I drank it.
“There was something like a cave; I went inside, as if I was being guided to go in,” she said.
Jaslinda was eventually found near Kampung Lubuk Gaharu, Pos Musoh, Tapah, at about 5pm by an Orang Asli villager, Nazri a/l Bah Eng, 55, who was heading towards a river with family members when they came across her in a weakened state.
“We happened to be going fishing in the river when suddenly one of us found Jaslinda in a weak state and crying. She was also carrying a plastic bag filled with mushrooms.
“I immediately brought her back to the village chief’s house, and we gave her food and drinks because she looked extremely exhausted,” he said when met at Tapah Hospital.
Nazri said he immediately alerted village leadership and authorities after ensuring the woman was safe, prompting the deployment of search and rescue teams to the location.
Jaslinda was later taken to hospital for treatment following her discovery.
According to earlier reports, she had been part of a 13-member hiking group accompanied by two forestry mountain guides on the Trans Spencer Chapman route, which began at 2am on 23 May via Pos Gedung, Gunung Bah Gading, Gunung Batu Putih and Kuala Woh.
She and another hiker, Mohd Hanafi Neikmad, 41, reportedly experienced health difficulties during the expedition and had stopped temporarily. However, Jaslinda is said to have continued alone towards the summit and was last seen at about 7.30am on 24 May before going missing.
Her disappearance triggered a major search and rescue operation, with authorities combing dense forest terrain for nearly two weeks before she was finally located alive.
The case has since drawn public attention due to her extraordinary survival story, with Jaslinda now recovering after her ordeal at the home of a Tok Batin in Kampung Lubuk Gaharu, as confirmed by Perak Fire and Rescue Department director Datuk Sayani Saidon.
Her account has highlighted both the dangers of solo decision-making in challenging terrain and the critical role of local villagers and Orang Asli communities in search and rescue efforts in Malaysia’s forested regions. - June 7, 2026
See video here (From Bernama):https://www.facebook.com/share/v/193VBAkkrC/
