Tragedy from up high
A journalist reflects on the 2022 Batang Kali landslide tragedy in Malaysia, which claimed 31 lives. The piece recounts the logistical challenges and emotional toll of covering the disaster.
Why it matters
It provides a retrospective look at the difficulties of disaster journalism and the lasting impact of mass-casualty events on reporters.
FARIK Zolkepli woke up at 5am. He had to travel to Johor Baru for the funeral of an aunt who had passed the night before. He never made the trip.
As always after getting up, the first thing the news editor and crime desk chief did was check his phone – and what he saw jolted him completely awake.
There was an alert from the Selangor Fire and Rescue Department about a landslide in Batang Kali.
“I was still groggy and thought the alert read, ‘10 victims trapped at a campsite’. But I checked again and was shocked when I realised the alert actually read, ‘100 victims’.
“Initially, I used the KL-Karak expressway and planned to enter Batang Kali through Gohtong Jaya, but the road was severely damaged, and police had cordoned off the area,” he said.
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