Mt Kinabalu a tough climb but it was magical, says Singapore envoy

Singapore High Commissioner Vanu Gopala Menon (left) with his wife Jayanthi (centre) and First Secretary Warran at the peak of Mount Kinabalu.

KOTA KINABALU: It was an eight-year wait but worthwhile for Singapore's top diplomat to Malaysia Vanu Gopala Menon when he finally made it to the summit of Mount Kinabalu.

The 62-year-old High Commissioner, his wife Jayanthi and First Secretary Warran Kalasagaran reached the 4,095m Low's Peak on April 28.

For Menon, the arduous trek was not only a personal achievement but a "small tribute" to Singapore's bilateral relations with Sabah.

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"At my age, I knew it would be a challenge. My wife and I trained by climbing the stairs in our apartment block in Kuala Lumpur.

"We are grateful to our friends in KL who took us to hiking trails like Bukit Kiara and Bukit Gasing. We researched things we needed for the climb, such as altitude pills.

"It was a tough climb up and down. But we told ourselves to take it slow, keep going, and look out for each other.

"There is a Tamil proverb, adimel adi vaithal, ammaiyum nagarum. It means that if you keep trying, you will succeed," said Menon.

"The scenery was magical. I enjoyed seeing how the flora and fauna changed (as we ascended). The view from Low's Peak was, of course, stunning," he said in thanking the Sabah Tourism Board for facilitating their climb.

Menon, who was posted to Malaysia in November 2014, said he had always wanted to climb Mount Kinabalu and would be a missed opportunity for him not to have scaled the "iconic and revered" peak despite so many visits to Sabah.

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He noted that Singapore and Sabah enjoyed strong relations rooted in "our shared history and ties between our peoples".

Menon, who was on an official visit to Sabah from April 25 to 29, also took time off to get in touch with Sabah native lifestyles with the family of Datin Irene Golingai at Kampung Pogunon in Penampang, about 20km from here.

"We were moved by the warmth shown by the family and friends. We enjoyed trying Sabahan food and drinks like hinava and lihing, and tried learning the Sumazau dance from Irene.

"In a sense, the visit encapsulated what the Singapore-Sabah relationship should be about – friendship and shared experiences. It was one of my favourite memories from the trip," added Menon.

While in Kota Kinabalu, Menon met up with Sabah Governor Tun Juhar Mahiruddin and state ministers to strengthen ties, especially with travel restrictions now lifted following the Covid-19 pandemic.

"Over the meetings during my visit, we discussed strengthening our cooperation in various areas, including tourism and exchanges between our officials.

"Sabah opened a Tourism and Trade Office in Singapore last year, and we hope to promote more tourism opportunities in Sabah, beyond Mount Kinabalu. Some examples are the Danum Valley and Maliau Basin.

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"We have invited Sabahan officials to attend training courses conducted by Singapore," he added.

Menon said the Sabah government and people had given Singapore strong support during the 2015 Mount Kinabalu earthquake when 10 Singaporeans were among 18 people killed.

"I came to Sabah then to help coordinate the consular response, and remain deeply grateful to the state government and people for their strong support during that period," he added.