Mount Kinabalu Training Centre ready October

Kundasang: The first High Level Climbing Training Centre (PLPAT) in Malaysia is set to open in October this year on Mount Kinabalu, said Sabah Park (TTS) Director, Dr Maklarin Lakim, here, recently.

Speaking during the ceremony to commemorate the Tragedy of the 2015 Mount Kinabalu Earthquake Victims at Kiau Gap View in Sabah Park, Maklarin said in addition to PLPAT, the Layang-Layang hostel is now under development and that technical equipment are being provided for completion.

“PLPAT and the Layang-Layang hostel are planned to be completed simultaneously in October. I hope the target can be met because the launch was originally scheduled for this morning (June 8).

“The launch was postponed due to the constraints faced, including the completion of the building by the contractor as well as the purchase of technical equipment for climbing and its installation at the top of the mountain,” he said.

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Maklarin said the event held every year was to commemorate the victims of the 2015 earthquake.

“This is the ninth year, we celebrate it in a simple yet meaningful ceremony, and some relatives of the victims are also with us here.

“Using everything we’ve learnt over the last nine years, we hope to develop a phenomenon that instils confidence in mountain climbers. We will ensure that there are safety features and Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) in a systematic and thorough manner to ensure the safety of mountain climbers,” he said.

Nine years ago, a 6.0-magnitude earthquake shook the state at 7:15 am with the epicentre near Mount Kinabalu.

The unusual occurrence claimed the lives of 18 individuals, the majority of them were Singaporean schoolchildren on an expedition, as well as four mountain guides, a Chinese and a Japanese tourist.

Each year, Memorial Day was held to memorialise the event. A monument was erected on a slab of granite carved from a boulder chipped from Mount Kinabalu and engraved with the names of those who perished.

Meanwhile, Sabah Parks Principal Assistant Director (Management and Operation Division), Maipol Spait said helipad facilities in several areas would be established to strengthen the rescue process in the future.

Maipol, Executive Chairman of the Ceremony Commemorating the Tragedy of the Victims of the 2015 Mount Kinabalu Earthquake during the ceremony, said helipads in several areas need to be established to get a faster rescue response time.

“This is necessary because it concerns the safety of climbers, especially in the event of such a disaster in the future.

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“Apart from creating simulations, the opening of Layang-Layang accommodation will give climbers more opportunities to enjoy the beauty of the mountain.

“Climbers can stay two to three nights in the mountains, climbers from Timpohon Gate do not need to go straight up to Panalaban, they can spend the night in Layang-Layang first before continuing their journey the next day,” he said.

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