The son of a man who has been missing for more than a month assisted the search and rescue (SAR) team by identifying the location where his father was believed to have last been seen at a durian orchard in Lebuh Bukit Jambul here today.
The 15-year-old boy arrived at the location with his grandmother, Salmah Shamsudin, 72, who is the mother of the missing man, Shahir Zainul, 46.
Penang Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) director Mohamad Shoki Hamzah said the SAR operation involving 63 personnel and officers, including members of the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM), began at about 10.30am.
He said the operation was launched following a request from police to assist in locating the victim, who was reported missing since June 10.
“The search area was divided into several zones to ensure every part of the three-acre (1.21-hectare) area could be checked thoroughly.
“The discovery of the victim’s motorcycle and helmet by police at the location was an important clue in the search operation. Therefore, the team began searching from that area before moving further into the orchard,” he said.
Mohamad Shoki said the victim’s son also helped guide the search team by showing routes and locations believed to be linked to his father’s disappearance.
He said the operation involved personnel from the Paya Terubong, Jalan Perak and Bayan Baru Fire and Rescue Stations, along with police officers from the Southwest District Police Headquarters.
According to him, cooperation between agencies and information provided by the victim’s family could help speed up efforts to locate the missing man.
Previously, it was reported that Salmah had expressed hope that her youngest son would return home after disappearing without any news for more than a month.
Shahir was believed to have left his home at about 5am on June 10 to search for durians at an orchard in Relau but never returned, leaving his two children aged 13 and 15 waiting for his return.
