PUTRAJAYA: The Foreign Ministry has confirmed that Lieutenant Colonel Awang Askandar Ampuan Yaacob of the Kedah Malaysian Civil Defence Force Director had died on 19th May 2023 during the Malaysia Everest Mission.
The Ministry in a statement said, Awang Askandar was one of the participants in the Malaysia Everest Mission and three other climbers together with one team supporter.
“The Ministry via the Malaysian Embassy in Kathmandu, Nepal is giving necessary assistance to bring down the body of Awang Askandar from Mount Everest to the hospital in Kathmandu for post-mortem and then for the management of the remains.
“The Ministry would like to extend condolences to the family of Allahyarham Awang Askandar and pray for his soul to be blessed and placed among the “solihin”, the statement said.
Meanwhile, the Ministry has also confirmed the missing of Muhammad Hawari Hashim as one of expedition’s participant who is handicapped. He is believed to have successfully reached the peak of Mount Everest and has moved down but his current whereabouts has not been traced as yet.
“The representative of the embassy is in close contact with the local authorities that are now actively searching the victims around the areas. Information on any development on the search mission will be conveyed from time to time,” the statement said.
On another development, the Prime Minister’s Department (Sabah, Sarawak Affairs and Special Duties) will help bring home the remains of Awang Askandar to fulfil his family’s wish to bury him in his hometown in Benoni.
Minister Datuk Armizan Mohd. Ali said, the most important thing now is to work closely with the security forces in Nepal so that they can help bring down to the base camp before the remains can be transported back to Malaysia.
“It would take about three days to take the body down to the base camp,” he said as reported by Bernama.
“Our embassy in Nepal is cooperating with the responsible teams to help facilitate the process,” he told reporters after attending the Papar parliamentary constituency and Kawang state constituency Aidilfitri Celebration at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Pengalat, Papar, Saturday. – Malaysia World News
