KEPONG – Sherpas will resume their search for Muhammad Hawari Hashim, the hearing-impaired climber from the Malaysia Everest 2023 (ME2023) mission, who has been missing since May 19 last year.
Hawari disappeared after leaving the Fourth Camp, located at 8,000 metres above sea level, just a day after successfully summiting Mount Everest.
The search and rescue mission, postponed until next year, faced a setback due to the expiration of the special search permit for drone and aerial operations, approved by Nepali authorities.
Pasang Tendi, one of the guides from the ME2023 expedition, remains hopeful the sherpas will recover Hawari’s body, highlighting their history of locating missing climbers.
Previously, the team found the body of 56-year-old Lieutenant Colonel Awang Askandar Ampuan Yaacub, who died during the same mission last year.
Awang, Kedah’s director of the Malaysian Civil Defence Force (APM), passed away due to health complications at 8,000m. He was laid to rest in his hometown of Kampung Benoni, Papar, Sabah.
“I’m really saddened and still cannot move on from what happened. He was such a nice person and always respectful to me and my team. However, accidents like these are unpredictable,” said Tendi, who worked with Awang’s team in 2022 under harsh weather conditions.
“His loss is a great one for me, as he was a dear friend.
“He disappeared in the South Col, which is around 7,000m above sea level. I hope and pray that he is alive and that we can find him and bring him back to Malaysia. We will begin our next climbing session next month, and we are determined to go all out in our search.
“The sherpas have extensive experience in locating missing persons, and I’m confident we will be able to find him,” added Tendi during a press conference organised by the Forestry Department of Peninsular Malaysia in Kepong today.
The Pioneer Adventure Company, based in Nepal, faciliated the ME2023 mission by providing guides, supplies, and food throughout the journey.
Previously, the Federal Government allocated RM1.48 million, while the Penang government contributed RM500,000 to the Altitude Exploration Club in support of the ongoing search for Hawari.
It has been reported that over 340 climbers have perished since 1922 while attempting to summit or descend from Mount Everest, the highest mountain in the world at 8,848.86m. – October 14, 2024.