summit.
MIRI: Eight Curtin University Malaysia Sarawak students proudly unfurled a Curtin University flag as soon as they reached Mount Kinabalu summit, the Malaysia’s highest peak at 4,095m, last Saturday. Joining the expedition was first-ever Curtin Malaysia Mount Kinabalu Expedition members organised by the students with support from Curtin Malaysia Housing and Recreation Services and University Life departments. They comprised Malaysians, Cynthia Cheong Jia Pey, Chua Tee Hong, Cheang Lai Teng, Leong Yuh Chyi and Tan Yee Leong, and Awangku Abdul Malik Pangiran Kamalrudzaman from Brunei, Mathan Chakkravarthy from India and Mahjoob Hasib Pramanik from Bangladesh.
Accompanying them was Sports and Recreation Officer, Mohd Shahrizan Zaini who also guided the team through two months of physical training to condition them for the climb. According to the expedition leader Cheong, who hails from Sabah, the aim of the expedition was to promote the benefits of outdoor and sports activities and maintaining a healthy lifestyle among students. It was also aimed at giving students the opportunity to experience one of Malaysia unique natural attractions. “Organising the expedition is a good learning process for me especially when it came to arranging the team’s logistics and itinerary.
“As a Sabahan, I am proud to highlight the state’s cultural and religious significance to the expedition members and other students of Curtin Malaysia who come from some 52 different countries. “We have a very diverse international community of students and staff at Curtin Malaysia and this activity not only allows them to explore unique sites in Malaysia and learn beyond the classroom, but also build inter-cultural understanding and ties,” she said.
Meanwhile, one of the participants, Chua said he enjoyed the outdoors and was glad for the opportunity to join the expedition. He added through the expedition, the members who hardly knew each other at the start, ended up being very close friends as they gave each other support and encouragement throughout the expedition. Another participant, Cheang, said that though the climbing was challenging, it was a big achievement for her. She said she learned important life lessons through the experience, including the importance of teamwork, and it helped boost her self-confidence considerably.
For second-year chemical engineering student, Mathan, the mountain seemed colossal but the climb was well worth it as the view from the summit was truly spectacular. He added he would not been able to achieve the feat if it were not for the camaraderie within the team.
