Sarawak Fire and Rescue have spent more than 24 hours trying to coax an unidentified man down from a 100-meter telecommunications tower in Bukit Memaloh, with operations still ongoing as of earlier today.
Firefighters from the Kanowit station were deployed to the scene Monday morning after reports emerged that an individual had scaled the tower. Initial attempts to bring him down were unsuccessful, with the man throwing objects down at the rescuers.
Evening rains put a further strain on the operation, with the tower becoming slippery and even more perilous for the distraught man.
A local officer was sent to scale the tower earlier today, and learned that the distressed man is an oil palm plantation worker who had a spat with a colleague in Nanga Dap. When he pressed the man for more details, the plantation worker is alleged to have burst into tears, and threatened to jump.
Rescuers have put a safety net at the base of the tower, and medical officials have also been called to the scene should an emergency situation transpire. Telekom Malaysia, which operates the tower, also has employees on the scene.
Police were first contacted at 8am yesterday morning, with reports that a man was seen flailing on the tower.
Locals at the scene said the man is from a nearby town, with some individuals maintaining that he had been on the tower since Sunday morning — or two full days.
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