We previously reported that a man from Singapore, Jason Ren Jie, had gone missing in the Johor forest during a hike with his Malaysian friend.
It has since been revealed that the man is a China national who is a Singapore PR, and he has been detained by the Malaysian authorities for investigation, according to Channel NewsAsia.
Ren Jie had apparently entered the forest reserve without a permit and the Johor Forestry Department is planning to take action against him.
Salim Aman, the director of the Johor Forestry Department, confirmed that Ren Jie was released form the hospital after being rescued on 18 September, and has been detained after that.
Salim added that Ren Jie was detained for being a foreign national, and that if a local had done the same, he would’ve been released on bail.
The case has since been referred to the Deputy Public Prosecutor for further investigation, and he could be charged under Malaysian law for hiking in a forest reserve without a valid permit.