PAPAR: Malaysia Everest 2023 (ME2023) climber Lt Col Awang Askandar Ampuan Yaacub was laid to rest at the Kampung Benoni Muslim cemetery at 5.20pm today.
The body of the Kedah Civil Defence Force director had earlier arrived at Kota Kinabalu International Airport (KKIA) at about 2.15pm after departing KLIA at 11.35am via flight MH2646.
After a brief prayer recital, some 10 Sabah Civil Defence Force personnel carried the coffin bearing his remains in procession from the cargo area to the hearse.
Those present to pay their last respects were Sabah and Sarawak affairs minister Armizan Ali, deputy foreign minister Muhammad Alamin, Civil Defence Force chief commissioner Aminurrahim Mohamed and the deceased’s brother, Awang Asim.
The remains were brought to Awang Askandar’s family residence at Kampung Benoni, Papar from the airport before arriving at the Jamek as-Salam mosque for the final bath and shrouding.
The funeral prayer was performed by the mosque’s imam before the burial took place with full Civil Defence Force honours at 4.38pm.
Awang Askandar, 56, was reported to have fallen when making the final ascent at 8,000m and was pronounced dead while being treated at Camp 4 of Mount Everest, the tallest peak in the world.