KUCHING: Mount Kinabalu is the third highest mountain in South East Asia, and not the highest as reported in some news reports covering the recent tragedy on the mountain’s slopes following the 5.9 magnitude earthquake that hit Sabah on Friday.
A retired teacher, who wanted to be known as Anne Agnes Lim, told The Borneo Post that she had come across news reports that erroneously labeled Mount Kinabalu as the highest mountain in South East Asia.
“It is the highest mountain in Malaysia, but only the third highest in the region after Mount Hkakabo Razi in Myanmar and Puncak Jaya in Indonesia respectively,” she said, adding she had come across this fact while researching the highest peaks in various countries in the region by referring to an encyclopedia.
A quick check with the online version of the Encyclopedia Britannica (http://global.britannica.com) showed that Hkakabo Ravi has an elevation of 5,881 metres while Puncak Jaya (also known as Mount Carstensz) on the isle of New Guinea has an elevation of 4,884 metres.
The same website has Mount Kinabalu listed at 4,101 metres.
The 5.9 magnitude earthquake that hit Sabah on Friday triggered a rockfall on the mountain that claimed 16 lives, with two still missing. Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Musa Aman declared yesterday as a day of mourning for the state.
Singapore declared yesterday as a National Day of Remembrance for the Singaporean victims of the Sabah quake, which included six pupils, one teacher and one tour guide. Another teacher and student are still missing.