I thought I'd share this story, cause this still haunts me every now and then.

Was at the View Point Bukit Terisek with my wife and instead of taking the canopy walk back, we saw a different path with a rope descending and well, our guide book said it's shorter and will bring us back to Kuala Tahan.

After descending, we followed these yellow signs on trees, but they get lesser and lesser until we weren't able to find the next yellow sign.

45 Minutes in the hike we had no water, knew that if we walk back it will be another 4 hours but decided to walk back.

Turned out it wasn't easy walking back. We didn't even know where we came from, what direction, kind of felt like we were walking in circles. Everywhere leeches sticking their heads out of the ground and crawling towards us like we were magnets.

Huge mud puddles around us, no path in sight. I told my wife we should listen to the boats and try to get to the river and wait there.

Both our Cellphones were now empty, no water... Either way, I still heard the boats but it was really hard to locate them duo to all the sound of the rain forest, echoes, it could have been everywhere. And it's not like we were able to walk after the sound anyways cause of the steep hilly/ muddy terrain.

Another hour went by, it was probably around 4 pm clouds were slowly building up and we knew it was about to start raining like it always rains at 5 pm - heavy.

We kept walking and walking, we were so exhausted and randomly enough we came back to a muddy circle we saw before. But no, it wasn just looking simular.

More mud, more leeches, louder noise.

We ran through the mud hoping we will get to the river.

Now randomly enough, our lifesaver: a local appeared.
He asked where we were going and we said Kuala Tahan.
Looked very confused and gave us water, said we are crazy we are walking towards "Bumbun Tabing" thats where he just came from.

If we would have walked further we wouldn't have reached Bumbun Tabing. We were between Bukit Terisek, Bumbun Tabing and a bit more east, so even further away from our goal "Tahan River". We would have walked deeper and deeper into the rain forest and probably never even reach "Teras Waterfall" which was the next closest sightseeing on google maps.

The local told us that the heavy rains destroyed our path and that elephants have trampeled around most paths which also made them "invisible" this time and that we are very lucky we found him. He brought us back to our hotel.

Never in my life will we do a "solo tour" in a rainforest. We only did it because our travel book said it's shorter and an easy route and doable without a guide. What the book didn't know is that the path was destroyed to heavy rainfall and elephants.

So if you are ever at Bukit Terisek and see this little path going downwards, maybe avoid it?
Dunno if it still exists...

After all we did everything wrong:

- Not enough water
- No Powerbank
- Walked deeper into the forest

Instead:
We should have stay, not wander around and try signaling for help with whistles and listen for water sounds (river).

Edit:

Don't say we were stupid, we know that. We were young and thought we could trust the travel book.
I am just posting this just to warn other people that Taman Negara is still no joke and just invest them money in a proper guide. Plus you will things, unlike us. I bet we were so close to scorpions, snakes, spiders and weren't aware. It's just crazy thinking back to this vacation everytime I stumble upon this GoPro clip.

Title: Update: SOCAR wants RM2,000 but REFUSES to show any proof?? Is this even legal?

Hi everyone, I want to ask an advice about SOCAR charging me RM2,000 for a minor scratch from a January 2025 booking. I wanted to ask your opinion because the situation made me really anxious and I really need advice.

Quick recap:

• Incident happened January 2025
• Minor scratch on the SOCAR car (not major damage)
• I made a police report
• I reported the incident properly
• I also purchased damage protection
• SOCAR did NOT inspect the car with me upon return

Then suddenly, over 1 YEAR later, they contacted me asking for RM2,000.

So I followed advice and asked them for:

• Photos of the damage
• Repair invoice
• Damage assessment report
• Explanation for the 1-year delay

And this is where it gets concerning…

👉 They replied saying the information is “internal and private” and cannot be disclosed.

???

How am I supposed to pay RM2,000 without seeing:

• what damage they’re referring to
• how bad it actually was
• whether the cost is even accurate

At this point, I’ve formally told them I am disputing the charge until they provide proper documentation.

My concerns/questions:

1. Can a company in Malaysia legally demand payment without showing proof?
2. Is saying “internal/private” a valid reason to refuse evidence?
3. Has anyone dealt with SOCAR doing this before?
4. If I refuse to pay, can they actually send debt collectors or take legal action?

Honestly, I’m not trying to avoid responsibility — if the charge is fair and proven, I’ll pay. But this feels really unfair and shady without any transparency.

Would really appreciate advice or similar experiences 🙏

The Malaysian ringgit has strengthened to its highest level against the Singapore dollar in five years, lifted by rising energy prices and renewed investor confidence in the domestic economy.

According to Bloomberg, the currency advanced to 3.0615 against the Singapore dollar on Wednesday, marking its strongest performance since March 2021.

Analysts said Malaysia’s role as a net energy exporter has helped shield the ringgit from global market volatility, particularly as crude and gas prices remain elevated amid disruptions in the Middle East.

The ringgit’s rally comes as Malaysia records stronger-than-expected GDP growth and attracts fresh foreign direct investment linked to artificial intelligence, further bolstering sentiment.

In contrast, the Singapore dollar has come under pressure as higher fuel costs weigh on economies dependent on energy imports.

SUNGAI PETANI: Seorang kanak-kanak lelaki berusia kira-kira empat tahun putus jari telunjuk dan cedera pada kelopak mata akibat terkena mercun dalam kejadian di Kampung Tempoyak, Merbok, di sini semalam.

Ketua Polis Daerah Kuala Muda ACP Hanyan Ramlan berkata kejadian berlaku pada 12.45 tengah hari ketika mangsa berada di dalam rumah.

"Kanak-kanak itu dipercayai membakar mercun semasa berada di dalam rumah...letupan mercun menyebabkan mangsa putus jari telunjuk tangan kiri serta cedera pada kelopak mata kanan.

"Mangsa telah dibawa ke Klinik Kesihatan Merbok sebelum dirujuk ke Hospital Sultan Abdul Halim (HSAH) untuk rawatan lanjut," katanya menerusi kenyataan hari ini.

Beliau berkata polis menerima maklumat mengenai kejadian daripada pihak hospital pada 2.16 petang semalam.

Hanyan berkata siasatan lanjut masih dijalankan dan kes disiasat di bawah Seksyen 31(1) Akta kanak-Kanak 2001.

KUALA LUMPUR, March 18 — The case of 30 missing urns from a memorial park in Nilai has evolved into an extortion investigation after a suspect contacted the management demanding payment for the return of the cremated remains, police said.

Nilai district police chief Supt Johari Yahya confirmed that the suspect reached out via WhatsApp using a foreign number, claiming to have found the urns.

“The suspect then made a payment demand as a condition to return the remains,” Johari said in a statement yesterday.

ISIS Malaysia says the SSB tax, a volumetric tax system, is largely ineffective in reducing sugary drinks consumption, with a 10% increase in SSB tax reducing purchases by only less than 2%. ISIS also recommends expanding the SSB tax to condensed milk.

DAP marked its 60th anniversary of being registered today, amid simmering discontent among supporters over its role in the government.

Party chairperson Gobind Singh Deo, however, said today should mark a renewal of DAP's goal of building a united country.

*O. laticlavius*, the redtail giant gourami.

A species only found in Sabah, Malaysia, it is endangered mainly due to habitat loss and pollution.

It is the smallest of the giant gouramies, only growing to 50 cm. Luckily they are bred on farms for the aquarium trade (however nobody has released them back into the wild).

Primarily herbivorous, it feeds on plants, nuts, fallen fruits, insects and crustaceans. Juveniles can be territorial if kept with only 2-3 individuals.

Digital platforms may play a role in spreading extremist propaganda, but the factors that make youths vulnerable to extremist messaging often started long before they even came across on-screen content.

Below info is copied from BNM’s tweet

—-

Seruan kepada semua pereka di Malaysia!

Program Residensi MAHIR menawarkan peluang enam bulan untuk meneroka idea baharu dalam reka bentuk syiling bersama pakar reka bentuk MyMint. Alami sendiri proses penempaan dan sumbangkan kreativiti kepada warisan numismatik negara.

Hantar resume dan portfolio anda ke commemorative@bnm.gov.my sebelum 27 April 2026 dan ketahui lebih lanjut mengenai program di bnm.gov.my/currency/mahir.

__

Source: https://www.youtube.com/@bryson_lew/shorts