SUCCESS: PKOKM members during a photocall with staff of Santubong Homestay and KALK members before the certificate presentation at Santubong homestay.
KUCHING: A lack of height did not deter Pang Chiew Cho from achieving her dream to climb Mount Santubong.
Adenan Abdullah
Pang Chiew Cho
“I had never climbed any mountain but the expedition by Little People National Organisation of Malaysia (PKOKM) is the golden opportunity for me to prove myself,” said the 45-year old who hails from Kuching.
According to her, the three-and-a-half hour climb up to the top of the mountain was among the hardest tasks but all 22 climbers from PKOKM were determined to reach the summit together.
“There were several hurdles such as climbing the ladder which required teamwork, but I am glad that we were able to overcome the challenge,” she said, adding that she was one of the two ladies participating in the challenge.
She was met at the certificate presentation ceremony to mark their success in conquering the summit of Mount Santubong at Kampung Santubong Homestay on Sunday night.
Lauding PKOKM for organising the activity, she said she was happy that there was such an organisation for little people, and suggested that the organisation reach out to more people with similar condition.
For 49-year-old Adenan Abdullah, the experience would be treasured as it was his first successful attempt at climbing a mountain.
“The journey was fine at first but halfway when the route became challenging, I almost gave up but sheer determination was the drive which pushed me to go on until the end,” said Adenan who hails from Perlis.
Describing the view from the summit as wonderful, he said such activity was not only a platform to prove their ability but also an occasion for them to mingle and assist each other in any way they can.
Meanwhile, PKOKM president Jasmi Shafie said the fact that all the 22 climbers had succeeded in reaching the summit was a testament of their ability to perform tasks that normal people always do although they needed to work extra hard.
“At first, we thought that only five of us would reach the summit but all participants finally reached the summit. This in a way is a medium to prove ourselves,” he said.
All the 22 climbers were guided by six members from Kelab Aktiviti Lasak Kuching (KALK) headed by its president Doni Sahari.
A total of 20 PKOKM members from the peninsula are here since December 9 and are expected to depart on December 14.
Apart from the Mount Santubong expedition, other activities organised were a cooking class on local dishes and visits to places around Kuching.