GEORGE TOWN: The Altitude Exploration Club will form a search and rescue (SAR) team next year to continue with efforts to look for missing Malaysian Everest 2023 (ME 2023) climber Muhammad Hawari Hashim, 33.
The Penang State Museum employee for over 10 years was reported missing on May 19 while making his descent from the summit of Mount Everest.
The Altitude Exploration Club is in charge of the Malaysia Everest 2023 (ME2023) programme, in which hearing-impaired Hawari, who hails from Penang, is one of the participants.
ME2023 mission head Azim Afif Ishak said the SAR team would start its operation as soon as Mount Everest is reopened.
He said they would hire six sherpas (mountain guides), who would be actively involved in the SAR operation.
"We will start the operation from the beginning of the season (April) until the end (June).
"Next year's operation will focus on the upper side of Mount Everest, known as the 'death zone' (Camp 4 and above) as this year's operation concentrated on Camp 3 and below," he told Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow during a courtesy visit to his office in Komtar yesterday.
Also present were ME2023 chef de mission Tan Sri Dr Salleh Mohd Nor, ME2023 team manager Ayu Wanirah Naharuddin and State Museum and Art Gallery director Haryany Mohamad.
As of now, Azim said, Hawari's status is categorised as a "missing person" by the Nepal government.
"As such, we need to do our best in the SAR operation next year, which I will also be part of.
"We need to find his body or at least any traces of him like shoe, jacket, equipment or anything, failing which we cannot get a death certificate.
"This will affect the pension and other benefits deserved by Hawari's wife and kids," he said, adding that the remaining fund from the state and federal government would be used to fund the SAR operation next year.
Previously, the federal government and the Penang government had allocated RM1.48 million and RM500,000 respectively for SAR efforts to find Hawari.
Meanwhile, Chow expressed his hope that the SAR operation next year would be successful in finding Hawari.
"Let us know if you need help in anything as the state government is ready to assist in any way possible," he said.