Singapore to observe Day of National Remembrance for Sabah quake victims
Monday (Jun 8) will be a Day of National Remembrance for the eight Singaporeans who died and two who are still missing after the Sabah earthquake, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) announced on Sunday. State flags on all Government buildings will be flown at half-mast and a minute's silence will be observed at the beginning of the day at all SEA Games venues.
"We hope that this collective
expression of sympathy and support from all Singaporeans will give
solace and comfort to the families and loved ones of the victims," the
PMO said.
Six
of the dead were students from Tanjong Katong Primary School, while one
is a teacher. Another student and a teacher from the primary school are
still missing. A Singaporean adventure guide who was with the students
on an expedition to Mount Kinabalu at the time of the earthquake, was
also killed.
DAY OF NATIONAL REMEMBRANCE ON 8 JUNE
TO MOURN KINABALU VICTIMS
STATEMENT FROM THE PRIME MINISTER’S
OFFICE
The Prime Minister is deeply saddened by the deaths of eight
Singaporeans in the earthquake at Mount Kinabalu. They were one
teacher and six pupils from Tanjong Katong Primary School on an
overseas learning trip, plus one adventure guide. One teacher and one
student are still missing.
On behalf of all Singaporeans, the Prime Minister expresses his
deepest condolences and sympathies to their families and loved ones.
As we grieve over the loss of these young lives, we also take heart
that they were striving to stretch their limits and take on new
challenges.
The Prime Minister also thanks all those who are working
tirelessly in the search, rescue and recovery efforts – the
Malaysian authorities, the search and rescue teams, the hospital
staff, and all the officers and volunteers who are helping in one way
or other in Sabah and Singapore.
Australian climber describes harrowing
escape from Mount Kinabalu earthquake
Climbers
wait for rescue atop Mount Kinabalu after the earthquake hit.
(Supplied: Vee Jin Dumlao)
Australian climber Vee Jin Dumlao was atop Malaysia's Mount
Kinabalu when a magnitude-6.0 earthquake hit. When her group was left
stranded by rescue officers, they decided to make the perilous
journey down themselves.
It was supposed to be a quiet dawn climb. Leaving at 2:30am for the top of Malaysia's Mount Kinabalu,
Borneo's tallest mountain, a group of 137 climbers — including two
Australians — reached the peak's granite plateau at dawn, and had
expected to be back at Laban Rata for breakfast.
But at 7:30am, that plan abruptly changed.
Route designed for children above 10, no
previous incidents: MOE
They were split into five groups, and set to tackle a 430m-long stretch on the Via Ferrata path of Mount Kinabalu early on Friday morning, when the earthquake struck.
About 12 to 15 students and five teachers from Tanjong Katong Primary School (TKPS) were on the trail, while others were waiting for their turn, at about 7am. The earthquake occurred some 15 minutes later, sending boulders and rocks tumbling down the mountainside.
These details emerged in a briefing by the Ministry of Education, which gave an account of what happened on the fateful trip, based on recollections of the surviving students and teachers.
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MOE details events of Tanjong Katong Primary School expedition in lead-up to Sabah quake
Tanjong Katong Primary School (TKPS) has organised school trips to
Mount Kinabalu in Malaysia multiple times, and participants have
successfully completed the hike for seven years, said the Ministry of
Education (MOE) on Sunday (Jun 7).
During a technical briefing, it was revealed that at least one
international school in Singapore has also organised trips to Mount
Kinabalu for its students.
Six students and a teacher from the school, and a Singaporean
adventure guide were among the 18 killed at Mount Kinabalu when a
5.9-magnitude earthquake struck Sabah state on Friday morning. One
teacher and one student are still missing. The group of 29 students
and eight teachers had gone to Mount Kinabalu for a leadership
programme.
Walk The TORQ
At 3,521m a.s.l, this initiation route is designed for the beginner
in mind. It is a leisurely 2 – 3 hour route, and a shorter commitment
than that of The Low’s Peak Circuit.
If you feel that you want a little taste of the Via Ferrata
experience but do not wish to expend too much energy on it (you still
have to climb back down the mountain!), the Walk the Torq route would be
best for you. The views are equally amazing and the route is adrenaline
pumping enough.
The route’s thread-like tightrope walks and swinging planks will have
you convinced that the course designers are sadistic, but that’s what
makes it so darn fun – testing your limits without putting your safety
in jeopardy. (Lonely Planet, 11th edition)
Sabah quake: A geologist's perspective
Earthquake tremors are the result of a rapid release of energy where seismic waves move in all directions from the source, known as a focus. A point on the Earth's surface above the focus is called the earthquake centre. For example, the centre of the Ranau earthquake is near the peak of Mount Kinabalu. This means the focus of the earthquake was underneath its centre; in this case it was 10km below the centre. This is what caused the massive landslides.
Tremors usually occur along faults, or longitudinal cracks in the earth that have bent and snapped back in what is called an elastic rebound.
Imagine taking a plastic ruler and bending it. After a certain point it will break and release all the energy put into it from our effort to bend it. When an earthquake happens, the rocks in the earth are behaving in a similar fashion.
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Sabah, particularly in the north and northeast of the state, has
been experiencing no less than 80 earthquakes since 1897, with the
latest occurring today.
Minerals and Geoscience Department
director-general Datuk Yunus Abdul Razak said the earthquake
measuring 5.9 on the Richter scale, with the center located 16
kilometres from Ranau, was the strongest earthquake recorded so far
in Malaysia.
The magnitude of the previous earthquakes were between 3.6 and 5.8
on the Richter scale. "Based on the position of the epicentre plotted on the
seismotectonic map of Malaysia, today's quake was believed to be
triggered by the Lobou-Lobou Fault Line," he told Bernama.
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Sabah tragedy: different attitudes from MY and SG
With the Ministry of Education’s statement yesterday (10 Jun) that the last 2 missing Singaporeans on the fateful climb up Mt Kinabalu are confirmed dead, (‘MOE: 2 missing SGs confirmed perished at Mt Kinabalu‘), the tragedy is drawing to a close. However, the attitudes of the Singaporean and Malaysian governments with regard to the tragedy appear to differ greatly.
On the one hand, the Malaysian authorities have promised to review safety protocols for climbers on Mt Kinabalu, which may include setting a higher minimum age for climbers.
On the other hand, Singapore PM Lee thinks it is a good thing for primary school kids to mount an assault on South-east Asia’s highest peak, the perils of doing so notwithstanding (‘PM: Positive outcomes for children who climb Mt Kinabalu‘). He shared the Facebook post of a mother of a Tanjong Katong Primary School alumnus who had scaled the mountain without incident last year. Mr Lee endorsed her post saying, “She describes the preparation undertaken by the school to prepare the children for the trip, and the positive outcomes that resulted.”
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MOUNTAIN GUIDE BRAVES BAD CONDITIONS &
CARRIES INJURED S'PORE STUDENT TO SAFETY
Following the powerful 6.0 magnitude
earthquake yesterday morning (June 5), many climbers were trapped on
the mountain and guides were crucial in bringing back the injured,
the weak and the deceased through treacherous conditions. A guide
named Ridwan was seen strapping an injured Singaporean boy on his
back and carrying him to safety.
A photo of a guide named Ridwan hunched over with an injured
climber strapped over his back has earned admiration, praise and awe
from social media users who hailed him as an unsung hero. The photo
of mountain guide Ridwan, posted on Sabah Park’s Facebook page, has
garnered over 9,000 Likes and 890 shares after three hours.
Thank you Ridwan on behalf of all Singaporeans. We salute you for
your rescue efforts, without your selfless effort, the rescue
wouldn't have been possible
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TKPS PARENT: I STILL FULLY SUPPORT THE SCHOOL'S KINABALU EXPEDITION
It is with a very heavy heart as I write
this. My younger son graduated from Tanjong Katong Primary School last
year. And yes, he was among the privileged group of leaders selected
for the Omega Challenge Mt K Expedition last year. It is a trip for
selected leaders from the various CCAs in school for the graduating
batch and the school has been running the programme for years.
It is a simple trip, go to KK, stay a night. Climb Mt K, stay at
Pendant Hut. Go Via Ferrata for some fun but challenging activities,
go back Pendant Hut to rest. Next morning do summit climb, descend
the mountain, stay a night. Home sweet home. No sight seeing, no
shopping, no luxurious hotels, no great food. Yet my son had set his
heart for the trip for years and actually consciously worked for it
by getting into the school prefectorial board.
Prior to the trip, the school scheduled for training sessions
which included serious stairs climbing. Students were also encouraged
to do their own training daily which many enthusiastically did.
related: SCH TEACHER: MOUNT KINABALU IS SUITABLEFOR PRIMARY SCHOOL KIDS
related: SCH TEACHER: MOUNT KINABALU IS SUITABLEFOR PRIMARY SCHOOL KIDS
The Sad Story of Mt Kinabalu
This post will be about the ascent to the summit of Mt Kinabalu. People out there have commented that it is easy and some people even said that they were unfit and yet have managed to “conquer it”.
To a certain extent, I will agree that going up Mt Kinabalu itself is not that difficult. Firstly it is not very technical and for those going via the Timpohon route, the ascent is fairly gradual with proper and good condition trails and steps. The distance to Laban Rata, the rest checkpoint for the day is only about 6 km. The portion from Layang Layang till Laban Rata is more technical with steep and big uneven steps to climb but still this whole route can be completed by anyone with a basic level of fitness within 7 – 8 hours.
However, from about 3 km into the hike up and at about 2500 metres, some people will start to experience some altitude sickness. In extreme cases, by the time the climber reaches Laban Rata which is 3200 metres, the headaches, nausea and fatigues will kick in.
To a certain extent, I will agree that going up Mt Kinabalu itself is not that difficult. Firstly it is not very technical and for those going via the Timpohon route, the ascent is fairly gradual with proper and good condition trails and steps. The distance to Laban Rata, the rest checkpoint for the day is only about 6 km. The portion from Layang Layang till Laban Rata is more technical with steep and big uneven steps to climb but still this whole route can be completed by anyone with a basic level of fitness within 7 – 8 hours.
However, from about 3 km into the hike up and at about 2500 metres, some people will start to experience some altitude sickness. In extreme cases, by the time the climber reaches Laban Rata which is 3200 metres, the headaches, nausea and fatigues will kick in.
BRINGING 12 YO KIDS TO CLIMB MOUNTAINS IS INSANE
It is a great responsibility to lead a group of young people and I
never brought anyone below 16 and full discipline is a requirement.
I am not sure how the climb of Mount Kinabalu is conducted but I
will have great reservations to bring students of age 12 and below
for mountain climbing.
Whether this accident happened or not, taking 12 year old to climb
mountain and worse, cliff, is totally unacceptable by any standards.
The ST said that Mount K is a relatively easy you climb. Relative to what? Everest??
I have been there in June many years ago and it is definitely not
an easy climb for the common man on the street. My group and I did
train once a week for 3 mths before the climb and we are relatively
fit adults. Along the way we saw unfit people suffering or getting
injured from bad falls and having to turn back halfway and we did not
see any children at all.
Those who have been to Mount K will say the same thing that they
did not see children on the Mountain. I would not recommend the best climb to anyone below the age of
16. Would you bring your young children there?
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Why were Kids Scaling the More Dangerous Path in Mount
Kinabalu?
The schoolchildren took the “via ferrata” way, which you see in the pictures here
There’s 2 ways to scaling Mount Kinabalu – you can take the
walking path, which has shelters along the way.
It’s still a long trek to the top, but the path is carved into
the mountain, and it’s simple to climb.
The other way is what’s known as the “via ferrata” way –
where climbers scale metal rungs punched into Mount Kinabalu’s
cliffs, and cross rope bridges across the vast rock formations below.
read more
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Mountain Climbing not for 12 year old kids!
First and foremost, my deepest condolences to the families of the students and teacher who died from the Sabah Mount Kinabalu Earthquake. I believe those students and teachers who survived the tragedy must have suffered tremendous trauma and I hope that psychiatrists are sent to provide the necessary counseling to help them overcome their traumatic shocks and pain.
This article does not seek to pin point the fault of earthquake death to anyone. It is true that no matter if you are adult or a child, you are subjected to the same risk to death from such sudden act of nature. However, there is really much to fault MOE and the school for approving or allowing 12 year old kids to go on such "Mountain Climbing Expedition".
The common excuse given was that the Primary School has been conducting this expeditions for the past few years without incidents, so we should assume there is nothing wrong in having such expedition for 12 year old kids. This is absolutely wrong argument to deflect responsibility for both MOE and the school. It is like saying you have won a few rounds from Casino and thus, gambling in Casino is absolutely safe!
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A Father’s Grief: “She Begged to Go, I
Shouldn’t Have Relented”; Teen Girl Dies Amidst Mount Kinabalu
Earthquake
Grief and regret, for the parents of 12-year-old Wee Ying Ping
Peony.
The parents of the Tanjong Katong Primary School student had never
wanted her to go on the trip to Mount Kinabalu. They felt the climb was going to be tough, and examinations were
coming up in just 2 months.
FATHER OF DECEASED STUDENT: I REGRET LETTING HER GO ON MT KINABALU TRIP
51 year-old Mr Wee, the father of the Singaporean student Peony Wee Ying Ping, says he regrets letting her join the school expedition to Mount Kinabalu.
Peony was a primary 6 student of Tanjong Katong Primary School and
among 8 students and 2 teachers who had gone missing after the
earthquake struck Sabah while they were climbing. She and her peers
would be sitting for their Primary School Leaving Examination in 2
months if not for the disaster.
"I should
not have let her go," Mr Wee says. He only relented after his
daughter begged for his approval constantly, paying S$600 (RM 1660)
for the trip as he wanted to make her happy.
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S'PORE PARENT: MOE STOP SENDING OUR
CHILDREN ON RISKY OVERSEAS EXPEDITIONS
Many families, especially with
school going children are deeply sadden by this very very very
unfortunate incident where many of our young and bright students
perished in the Malaysian mountain.
We must never allow such an incident from occurring again. We must
never send our young ones to harms ways, especially the fact remain
that many of these young ones don't stand a chance of survival.
We must seriously review of current policies of sending our young
children to such dangerous activities. The fact remain how can
anybody, school and government officials compensate young children's
lives to their heart broken parents.
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MOUNTAIN GUIDE TOLD TO GO TO HELL AFTER TRYING TO STOP ANG MOHS FROM TAKING NAKED PHOTO
The group of 10 tourists, believed to
include two Canadians, two Dutch and a German national, who stripped
naked for photographs at the peak of Mount Kinabalu allegedly called
their mountain guide “stupid” and told him to “go to hell”
when he attempted to stop them from removing their clothes.
Sabah Parks director Dr Jamili Nais said that the guide was in
charge of a group of 27 Europeans during an expedition on May 10 and
about 10 from the group — six men and four women — broke away to
pose for pictures in South Peak, on the west side of the summit’s
plateau.
“The guide involved said he had approached the group and told
them not to do it but was rebuffed with the words ‘stupid’ and
‘go to hell’,” said Jamili when contacted by Malay Mail Online.
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Nude Ang Moh Exhibitionists Blamed for Sabah Earthquake
The aki, or mountain protectors are furious at the
tourists who stripped and urinated at Mount Kinabalu.
The earthquake was their way of venting their anger and teaching
humans a lesson.
That’s what some in Malaysia are speculating. The 6.0 magnitude earthquake struck Sabah’s west coast earlier
this morning, with tremors felt all over the city centre.
related: Malaysia Detains Naked Ang Mohs Blamed for SabahEarthquake
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related: Malaysia Detains Naked Ang Mohs Blamed for SabahEarthquake
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2 Canadian tourists who stripped on Mt
Kinabalu barred from leaving Malaysia
TWO Canadians were prevented from leaving Malaysia after they were identified as being part of a group of tourists who stripped to pose for photos atop Sabah's Mount Kinabalu, where a deadly earthquake struck on Friday.
The Malaysian police reported that siblings Lindsey Petersen, 23,
and Danielle Petersen, 22, were two of five tourists identified as
being part of the group of 10 who undressed at the 8km point of a
two-day hike up the mountain on May 30, and posed for photos,
according to Canada's thestar.com news website. They did this despite
their guide's protests.
The other three reported to the police by the guide were Dutch
citizens Eleanor Hawrins and Dylan Thomas, and German Stephan
Pohlner. The other five tourists in the group were not identified,
reported thestar.com. On Saturday, Sabah Deputy Chief Minister Joseph Pairin Kitingan
blamed the actions of the tourists for the 5.9-magnitude earthquake
that stuck the mountain on Friday, saying that they had "showed
disrespect to the sacred mountain" and the tragedy was a
"confirmation" of the consequences of their actions. He
called also on the culprits to be brought to be charged in court.
related: Sabah deputy chief minister says quake brought on by tourists who stripped naked at Mount Kinabalu
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A pair of dark disembodied hands, similar to that of "The Thing" from the Addams Family, made a spooky appearance in two photos taken at Mount Kinabalu shortly after the 5.9 magnitude earthquake which hit Sabah.
Persatuan Komuniti Bugis Sabah (PKBS) vice-president Samasuddin Yusop, who is part of a group of donors pictured with the mysterious limbs, said neither images, taken at the base of Mount Kinabalu, were altered.
"Many people asked us about the photographs but even we have difficulty determining if was a makhluk (mysterious creature) or a problem with the cameras," the former Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) corporate communications head told The Star Online when contacted.
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Tragedy on Mount Kinabalu
– TR Emeritus: Don’t
politicise the Mt Kinabalu tragedy
– Thoughts of a Cynical Investor: Sabah tragedy: The real truth
– RunEatGossip: The Sad Story of Mt Kinabalu – Part 2 The Challenges
– Haus of Yuene: Overweening Privilege At Its Finest: Emil Kaminski
– My Singapore News: Singapore’s superb education system firing blanks
– TOC: Mt Kinabalu quake – a time to grieve, and a time to judge
– TR Emeritus: Mt Kinabalu tragedy: different attitudes from MY and SG
– Pastor How: Falling Rocks and Throwing Stones | #SabahQuake
– Musings From the Lion City: Overseas Excursions Should Continue
– RunEatGossip: The Sad Story of Mt Kinabalu – Part 1
– Thetwophilo’s Blog : Kinabalu – irresponsible to resume school trips anytime soon
– My Singapore News: Mount Kinabalu or kena balu – Any lesson learnt?
– Asian Parent: Letter to the parents who lost their children in the Sabah earthquake
– Yahoo! SG: Reflections on Sabah quake: Sometimes, silence is golden
– Kerene Ng: After Sabah quake, should parents allow kids go on school expeditions?
– PetuniaLee™: Sabah Earthquake: Nothing To Learn?
– S M Ong: To mourn or celebrate? Kinabalu tragedy versus SEA Games medals
– Singapore Alternatives: Mountain Climbing not for 12 year old kids!
– Singapore Lighthouse: MOE and the Primary School Omega Challenge
– My Sg News: Malaysia authorities considers barring Mt Kinabalu climbers below 15
– The Unspun Blog: The Mt. Kinabalu tragedy: what are schoolchildren doing there?
– Singapore 2B: Nothing is Impossible (On Freedom of Expression Part 3)
– Mothership: What Sabah quake victim Rachel Ho did every night will break your heart
– Redwire Times: The Mount Kinabalu Tragedy that Could Have been Avoided
– Of Kids and Education: What I have learned from the Sabah earthquake tragedy
– Hey, Erisa: The children in Kinabalu
– Blogging for Myself: Singaporeans feared dead in quake
– Thoughts of a Cynical Investor: Disgusting post on TRE/ Cybernut mob at work
– My Singapore News: Education – A time and place for everything
– Revelation is Real 2.0: Earthquake in Ranau: Sabah & Singapore
– Another dot in the blogosphere?: Kinabalu lesson: Live, love, and pass it on
– Spore Beacon: Hide Yr Virgins! Sabah To Conduct Cleansing Ritual To Prevent
– [FB] Loh Kat Teng: “It is with a very heavy heart as I write this…”
– [FB] Luo Yanjie: “As I await news of the missing teachers and students…”
– Din Merican: Sabah Earthquake have we forgotten to mourn together as a nation?
read more
read more
Mysterious hands appear in Mount Kinabalu photo
The group of PKBS members (from left) Mustapha Abd Talip, Rashid Mohd
Tahir, Ambotola Pelu, mountain guide Ridzuan, Samasuddin Yusop and
Misbahuddin Rida.
A close-up of the two images showing the mysterious hand. The picture on
the left is taken with a smartphone camera and the one on the right
with a Nikon camera
According to Samasuddin, the image taken from the mobile phone was even
more eerie than the one on the camera as there are two hands resting
very close to his back
A pair of dark disembodied hands, similar to that of "The Thing" from the Addams Family, made a spooky appearance in two photos taken at Mount Kinabalu shortly after the 5.9 magnitude earthquake which hit Sabah.
Persatuan Komuniti Bugis Sabah (PKBS) vice-president Samasuddin Yusop, who is part of a group of donors pictured with the mysterious limbs, said neither images, taken at the base of Mount Kinabalu, were altered.
"Many people asked us about the photographs but even we have difficulty determining if was a makhluk (mysterious creature) or a problem with the cameras," the former Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) corporate communications head told The Star Online when contacted.
read more
Tragedy on Mount Kinabalu
– Thoughts of a Cynical Investor: Sabah tragedy: The real truth
– RunEatGossip: The Sad Story of Mt Kinabalu – Part 2 The Challenges
– Haus of Yuene: Overweening Privilege At Its Finest: Emil Kaminski
– My Singapore News: Singapore’s superb education system firing blanks
– TOC: Mt Kinabalu quake – a time to grieve, and a time to judge
– TR Emeritus: Mt Kinabalu tragedy: different attitudes from MY and SG
– Pastor How: Falling Rocks and Throwing Stones | #SabahQuake
– Musings From the Lion City: Overseas Excursions Should Continue
– RunEatGossip: The Sad Story of Mt Kinabalu – Part 1
– Thetwophilo’s Blog : Kinabalu – irresponsible to resume school trips anytime soon
– My Singapore News: Mount Kinabalu or kena balu – Any lesson learnt?
– Asian Parent: Letter to the parents who lost their children in the Sabah earthquake
– Yahoo! SG: Reflections on Sabah quake: Sometimes, silence is golden
– Kerene Ng: After Sabah quake, should parents allow kids go on school expeditions?
– PetuniaLee™: Sabah Earthquake: Nothing To Learn?
– S M Ong: To mourn or celebrate? Kinabalu tragedy versus SEA Games medals
– Singapore Alternatives: Mountain Climbing not for 12 year old kids!
– Singapore Lighthouse: MOE and the Primary School Omega Challenge
– My Sg News: Malaysia authorities considers barring Mt Kinabalu climbers below 15
– The Unspun Blog: The Mt. Kinabalu tragedy: what are schoolchildren doing there?
– Singapore 2B: Nothing is Impossible (On Freedom of Expression Part 3)
– Mothership: What Sabah quake victim Rachel Ho did every night will break your heart
– Redwire Times: The Mount Kinabalu Tragedy that Could Have been Avoided
– Of Kids and Education: What I have learned from the Sabah earthquake tragedy
– Hey, Erisa: The children in Kinabalu
– Blogging for Myself: Singaporeans feared dead in quake
– Thoughts of a Cynical Investor: Disgusting post on TRE/ Cybernut mob at work
– My Singapore News: Education – A time and place for everything
– Revelation is Real 2.0: Earthquake in Ranau: Sabah & Singapore
– Another dot in the blogosphere?: Kinabalu lesson: Live, love, and pass it on
– Spore Beacon: Hide Yr Virgins! Sabah To Conduct Cleansing Ritual To Prevent
– [FB] Loh Kat Teng: “It is with a very heavy heart as I write this…”
– [FB] Luo Yanjie: “As I await news of the missing teachers and students…”
– Din Merican: Sabah Earthquake have we forgotten to mourn together as a nation?
read more
