Take Back “Bomba” and Related Agencies Under Sabah Government – Dr. Jeffrey

KOTA KINABALU - “The real-life stories of the search and rescue efforts of the stranded Mount Kinabalu climbers during the tragic earthquake reinforces the notion that the Sabah government need to take back and re-assert control over the fire and rescue department and its related disaster management agencies,” said Datuk Dr. Jeffrey Kitingan, STAR Sabah Chief, relating stories of the heroism and bravery of the local volunteer mountain guides or “malim gunung” during the earthquake.

It was the malim gunung that led the stranded climbers down the mountain trail and the majority of them reached Kundasang at 2am. the night of the earthquake.

Survivors related their ordeal of surviving the cold temperature and hunger while earlier the helicopters just flew past them on the mountain top and dropping food packs that fell off into the ravines. They could have done better as the weather was good and there was a better location with a wider drop-zone to drop the food packs.

It is apparent that the helicopter teams were not well-prepared in air-dropping food packs or in landing the helicopters to pick up the stranded climbers or to winch them to safety while airborne.

What was more amazing and not shown on national television were stories of the mountain guides taking the decision with 30-40 volunteer guides that went up to undertake search and rescue and meeting up with the stranded climbers and guides. Together they cut through jungle and created a new trail, tying and creating new rope lines for safety and led the climbers down the new trail to safety that same night. Some of the climbers even had to step on the shoulders of the guides while crossing some of the new trails. Ironically, the rescue was highlighted by an international news network in USA and the UK as well as in social media and blogs.

While at the base camp, no effort was done to bring down the stranded climbers the same day and who would have had to spend the night up the freezing mountain if not for the guides.

There were plenty of stories of anger of the climbers with the authorities and the lack of effort in rescuing the climbers and of the heroism and bravery of the mountain guides. One shudder to think what would have been the outcome if the stranded climbers were made to spend the night in hunger and in freezing weather.

There were no heroic helicopter rescues with people being pulled to safety through hanging ropes or being winched to safety as one would have expected of a helicopter rescue or of the rescue teams rushing up the mountain to search and rescue. Instead, the climbers had to endure a 10-hours trek through new jungle trails to reach safety led by the guides. In comparison in the New York Twin Towers disaster the fire brigade rushed up the burning buildings to rescue victims oblivious to the dangers to their own lives.   True heroes like the mountain guides unlike some other limp members in Sabah.

From media reports, the medical team only went up the mountain the second day, after the climbers have trekked down, when they should have been sent up immediate that quake morning to treat the injured.

The real-life stories showed how farcical some of the search and rescue efforts were while it is not denied some efforts of the disaster rescue teams and are much appreciated.

In any event, it is a clear lesson that the Sabah government need to assume control over the fire and rescue department and create a new Sabah-led disaster relief team. Training in disaster rescue including helicopter rescues and disaster and relief management should be part and parcel of the localized fire and rescue department with a special unit for Mount Kinabalu.

For the sake of safety of Sabahans and the tourists to Sabah, the Sabah government can no longer just sit back and rely on federal departments and agencies in search and rescue and disaster management and relief situations in the future.  It needs to be reminded that fire incidents and loss from fire is the highest in Sabah compared to other States.