The landslide in Selangor state, on the outskirts of capital Kuala Lumpur, occurred in the early hours of Friday on the side of a road near a farmhouse that provides camping facilities, the state fire and rescue department said in a statement.
The Malaysian disaster management agency said seven people had been injured and another 53 had been rescued.
The landslide fell from an estimated height of 30 metres above the campsite, and covered an area of about 0.4 hectare, department director Norazam Khamis said.
"I pray that the missing victims can be found safely soon," minister of natural resources, environment and climate change Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad tweeted on Friday morning.Â
"The rescue team has been working since early. I'm going down there today."
The disaster struck about 50km north of Kuala Lumpur in Batang Kali town, just outside the popular hilltop area of the Genting Highlands, known for its resorts and natural beauty.
Pictures posted on the Father's Organic Farm Facebook page show a farmhouse in a small valley with a large area where tents can be set up.
Footage from local television showed the aftermath of a landslide through a forested area beside a road, while other images on social media showed rescue workers clambering over thick mud, large trees and other debris.
Selangor is the country's most affluent state and has suffered landslides before, often attributed to forest and land clearance.
The region is in its rainy season but no heavy rain or earthquakes were recorded overnight.
Selangor was hit by flash flooding after heavy rainfall in November.
A year ago, about 21,000 people were displaced by flooding from torrential rain in seven states across the country.
4°C