TRIO SET TO CONQUER NORTH POLE
PM hopes their achievements will inspire Malaysians, especially youth
MALAYSIANS should set high goals and hold fast to the slogan “no retreat and no surrender” when things get tough.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said this at the launch of the Malaysian 7 Continents Exploration Club (KE7B) North Pole Expedition 2017 that would be undertaken by three local explorers.
He said KE7B had founded 24 national icons in extreme sports, and their achievements should inspire other Malaysians, especially youth.
“We must challenge ourselves and not give up easily when things get tough.
“No one is spared from challenges, even I, as the prime minister, am not.
“Of course, the challenges I face are different than what the explorers will be facing.
“Nonetheless, we should not retreat or surrender when we come across obstacles, especially while carrying out our duties for the country. We must give our all.”
Present were explorers Muhammad Muqharabbin Mokhtarrudin, Muhammad Irwan Yusuf Abdullah and Shahrom Abdullah.
Najib said to be part of the North Pole expedition was not an easy task.
“One must have extraordinary strength to complete the mission.”
Najib said he could relate to the explorers based on his skiing experiences when he was young.
The expedition group will leave for Oslo, Norway, on April 4 and be based in Longyearbyen, Svalbard Island, for a week to make final preparations.
The explorers are scheduled to start their expedition on April 13, where they will undergo a Ski Last Degree exploration — a 111km trail that will last about 11 days, starting from the Barneo station.
Several support teams, led by KE7B adviser Datuk Akmar Hisham Mohd Yusof, will join the expedition to help with preparations at Longyearbyen.
Irwan, 37, is an extreme sports athlete who completed the Crossing Greenland Expedition in 2014.
The Sarawak-born said he would use his experience in Greenland to prepare himself for the North Pole expedition.
“My team and I had to undergo physical training sessions, which include cycling, running and swimming.
“I think the North Pole expedition will be the most challenging one as not only do we have to put up with the cold weather, we also have to deal with ice that moves constantly.
“So, we have to be very careful during our journey.”
Muqharabbin, 35, who is also KE7B president, climbed Mount Everest in 2004 and is the first Malaysian to reach the seven highest peaks in seven continents in 2010.
He said he loved adventures and to take on challenges.
“We had to go through a lot of training in Japan, where we learned how to ski and sledge on ice.
“We hope to give our best in this mission and made Malaysia proud.”
Shahrom, 37, is a national duathlon and triathlon athlete, who completed the South Pole expedition in 2015.
He was the first Malaysian to ski from Messner Inlet to the zero-degree point in the South Pole.