Tenzing Norgay (left) and Sir Edmund Hillary taking a break on the icy slopes leading to Mt Everest. They made history for their ascent to the world's highest peak on May 29, 1953. Photo: Royal Geographical Society
In 1997, I had the privilege of chaperoning the late Sir Edmund Hillary during his visit to support our Malaysia Everest 1997 Project. At the time, I was editing a newspaper that was a major supporter of the initiative. On May 23 that year, M. Magendran and N. Mohanadas proudly planted the Jalur Gemilang atop the world’s highest peak.

