Youth and Sports Ministry to issue statement after Everest SAR operation completes

BUTTERWORTH - The Youth and Sports Ministry is not prepared to provide any statement regarding the death and disappearance of Malaysia Everest 2023 (ME2023) climbers.

Its minister Hannah Yeoh said the ministry would issue an official statement after the search and rescue (SAR) operation in the mountains have completed.

"I don't want to comment as the SAR operation is still ongoing. Wisma Putra is aiding on the outside, when we are ready, we will issue a statement," she said briefly.

She said this when asked whether the ministry has investigated the death and disappearance of the ME2023 climbers.

Earlier, Yeoh officiated the People's Housing Project (PPR) Programme in Taman Bagan Jaya, here.

On May 21, Malaysian Everest climber and Grand Slam Explorer Datuk Muhamad Muqharabbin Mokhtarrudin urged the ministry and organisers to carry out thorough investigation into the death and disappearance of national climbers on the mountain.

This, he said was because it was the first fatal incident since Malaysia's Everest climbing mission from 1997 to 2023.

He added that the climb to the peak of Everest was not something that could be easily achieved and not something that could be done on a whim.

The latest Everest climbing mission had mourned over the death of a climber who was also the Kedah Civil Defence Force director Awang Askandar Ampuan Yaacub, 55, during an expedition to conquer the peak at an altitude of 8,000 metres on May 18.

Hearing-impaired person with disabilities (PwD) Muhammad Hawari Hashim, 33, was reported missing a day before the death of Awang Askandar.

The disappearance of the climber had entered the 23rd day and he has yet to be found. - AWANI