Missing hiking family in Kelantan mountains never stayed out more than a day, says grandpa — now it’s been four, maybe without food

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 7 — Wan Zairudin Wan Ismail, 66, is growing increasingly worried about his son and daughter-in-law's missing hiking party in Kelantan's forests. The group -- comprising Wan Ahmad Aslam, 39, Siti Zulaiha Norizan, 39, their children Diya Raisha, 13, and Ahmad Raef, 9, and two mountain guides -- haven't been seen since September 1, when Siti messaged her mother-in-law to confirm they were safe and expected to reach Pos Kemar in Perak two days later.

Wan Zairudin, a resident of Shah Alam, Selangor, expressed his fears that the family might have encountered an injury during their hike. He noted that their planned six-to-seven-day food supply was nowhere near sufficient for the four-day absence. The Fire and Rescue Department has launched a search and rescue operation, including a helicopter-assisted search, to locate the six hikers and trace their route.

Wan Zairudin revealed that his son and daughter-in-law, who often went hiking together with their children, had never before ventured beyond the scheduled exit day. This time, however, the family had chosen the challenging Trans GBB route for their expedition. He and his wife plan to visit the search and rescue operations room in Gerik today, hoping to gather the latest updates on their family's whereabouts.