Two Malaysians recently made the nation proud in the Himalayas, with one conquering Mount Manaslu and the other completing the trek to Annapurna Base Camp in Nepal.
Michael Chong, 45, from Sandakan, Sabah, reached the 8,163-meter summit of Mount Manaslu at 7 a.m. local time on September 24, proudly hoisting the Jalur Gemilang. His achievement marks him as the fourth Malaysian to scale Manaslu and highlights the potential of local climbers tackling some of the world’s most challenging peaks. Michael, currently a chief analytics officer at a leading firm, said the climb was more than a personal accomplishment—it aimed to encourage mountaineering among Malaysians. He has previously summited Kilimanjaro, Aconcagua, Ama Dablam, Mera Peak, Lobuche Peak, and Island Peak, funding all expeditions himself. Looking ahead, he plans to climb K2 (8,611 meters) in Pakistan and Mount Everest (8,848 meters) to cement his place among the world’s elite climbers.
Meanwhile, former Media Prima Berhad chairman Tan Sri Johan Jaaffar, 71, completed the Annapurna Base Camp trek at 4,130 meters on September 23, proving age is no barrier to extreme adventures. Despite challenging terrain and a detour caused by a landslide that forced the team to climb over 12,000 steps from Chhomrong, Johan completed the 130-kilometer trek in 10 days with 11 fellow climbers. He hopes their journey inspires Malaysians, especially youth, to challenge themselves and achieve what may seem impossible.
Both Michael and Johan are currently in Kathmandu and are scheduled to return to Malaysia in the coming days. Michael’s recent feat adds him to the select group of around 30 Malaysians who have summited peaks above 8,000 meters, often referred to as the “Death Zone” due to extreme conditions and low oxygen levels.
