[Special Post] Earthquake at Mount Kinabalu

Mount Kinabalu holds a special place in my heart. Though it was about 1,500km away, it was where I celebrated my 40th birthday with my loved one and family friends.

When news broke of the earthquake at Mount Kinabalu and that one of the key rock formations - The Donkey ears - has been destroyed, I felt the loss of all Sabahans.

Picture of the Donkey Ears rock formation

Then news started floating in about missing people and possibility of deaths. My guts wrenched and I felt pain. Pain because those who died were there to conquer a peak. Pain because lives were lost. It has hit even closer to home as of today, a 12-year old Singaporean had lost her life when the earthquake struck. Eight Singaporeans are still unaccounted for.

I whatsapp my guide to find out how is he doing and the reply I had received from him speaks volume. Just two words , "very sad". No further words were needed to express his pain.

The mountain lies in the no-earthquake zone. Really, nobody expected this. Neither did the parents of the young students whose children were there. 

I am a parent myself and I feel pained by this disaster, but I will never ever be able to feel the pain that they are feeling. I pray that they that peace beyond our understanding will transcend upon them.

My guide (with the red haversack), like all other guides, has always put us as his priority

For the guides, I've experienced first hand how they care for tourists. They are even willing to carry tourists on their backs up or down the mountain. They could have saved themselves but it is always in their nature to care for those around them. To these warriors, thank you so much. It's an honour to have walked beside you.

I've written in to Borneo Post to honour these guides. Hopefully, my email will reach the eyes of the Sabahan state government as well as the Malaysian government so that these guides are properly cared for.

I have been closely monitoring the situation at Mount Kinabalu and my thoughts go out to the people of Sabah and Malaysia. I am writing to ask that the government look into honouring the mountain guides for their bravery and for putting Malaysia on the world map.

I was a climber of Mount Kinabalu in 2013 and had the opportunity to experience the true care and concern showered upon us by our mountain guides. They moved quickly up and down the mountain slopes to ensure that we were safe. They carried large bags, and even people when the latter could no longer complete the climb. They were heroes to all who have climbed this mountain.

The local mountain guides had once again stood out as heroes in this recent unfortunate incident. These guides were there to cut out paths and laid lines to ensure that those caught in the earthquake could make their way down to safety. For those who were incapacitated, these guides carried them through the boulder-strewn path.

These mountain guides have indeed put their lives on the line. As such, the Malaysian government should consider honouring these heroes and also, help them through this difficult period where they will be effectively out of job for the next three weeks or more.