KOTA BARU: Members of the General Operations Force's (GOF) famed Senoi Praaq team will be deployed to Orang Asli settlements in Gua Musang to help track down the tigers which have posed a threat to the villagers.
GOF North Brigade deputy commander, Assistant Commissioner Mohd Noh Khamis said the special tracker team from the 3rd Battalion will be sent to Gua Musang next week.
However, he said the exact number of GOF members involved in the operation has yet to be finalised.
"The team will work closely with rangers from the state Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) in searching for the tigers," he told New Straits Times.
The Senoi Praaq are a unit made up almost entirely of Orang Asli members. Its history spans back to the days of the Malayan Emergency, when it first developed its reputation as an elite jungle warfare fighting force.
It is learnt that the deployment of the Senoi Praaq GOF to Gua Musang was made following a request by the Gua Musang District Office a few days ago.
The additional manpower is deemed necessary to aid the authorities to track down the tigers in the Orang Asli settlements, especially in Pos Bihai.
It is also learnt that the Senoi Praaq team based in Pera was selected as they are proficient with the conditions around the forested areas in question.
Tiger threats at several Orang Asli settlements in Gua Musang, especially in Pos Bihai and Pos Balar, started in early December, causing nearly 2,000 Orang Asli people to live in fear.
The state Wildlife and National Parks Department has mounted a large-scale operation to track down the animals but to date, they have yet to capture the tigers.
Deputy Menteri Besar Datuk Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah said the state government was informed by the state Wildlife and National Parks Department that there were four groups of tigers in the Orang Asli settlements in Gua Musang.
Meanwhile, the situation in several Orang Asli villages in Gua Musang have fallen eerily quiet as villagers, especially children, remained indoors for safety reasons.
