S’porean unfurls PAP flag at Mount Everest Base Camp, marking 2nd trip in 25 years

S’porean brings PAP flag to Mount Everest Base Camp as a tribute

A 55-year-old Singaporean man has completed the remarkable feat of hiking to Mount Everest’s South Base Camp for the second time after 25 years.

Marking the achievement, he left the People’s Action Party (PAP) flag there, he told PAP’s online magazine Petir in an article published on Wednesday (15 Jan).

Source: Petir.sg

Everest trek not ‘spur of the moment’ decision

Mr Yusof Lateef, who is PAP Marine Parade Branch Secretary, said the trek was not a “spur of the moment” decision but was carefully considered by him and his friends.

Source: Petir.sg on Facebook

Once it was likely that the General Election wouldn’t take place in 2024, they finalised their plans.

Besides booking their flights, they would train for nearly a year by climbing HDB staircases and hiking up Bukit Timah Hill every week, he added.

Everest trek was demanding & dangerous

Setting off in late October last year, Mr Yusof and friends spent 16 days reaching their destination.

He said it was “physically and mentally demanding”, with them hiking seven to nine hours daily and once even trekking for 14 to 16 hours in one day.

Source: Yusof Lateef on Facebook

The journey was not only arduous but dangerous too as climate change and geological shifts had caused many slopes to be covered in ice glacial sheets, he noted, adding:

And at 25 years older, the engine is also different, but we persevered by the grace of God.

Thankfully, they didn’t suffer from altitude sickness or high-altitude cerebral edema, which could prove life-threatening.

S’porean unfurls PAP flag & Marine Parade flag at Everest Base Camp

Finally, they summited Kala Patthar, a prominent landmark at an altitude of 5,644m where Mount Everest can be viewed.

They then reached Everest Base Camp, which has an altitude of 5,364m.

Source: Yusof Lateef on Facebook

Once there, Mr Yusof unfurled two flags, the first one being the PAP flag.

The second flag he displayed was the Marine Parade 50th anniversary flag.

Source: Petir.sg on Facebook

He left the flags at a friend’s trekking lodge in Gorakshep, according to Petir.

S’porean brings PAP flag to Mount Everest as a tribute

Mr Yusof, who has served Marine Parade for 36 years, explained that he did not intentionally bring the PAP flag for the party’s 70th anniversary, which was in 2024.

He brought it “as a tribute to the hard work and perseverance of the party’s members”, he said.

As he has been a branch secretary at Marine Parade since former prime minister Goh Chok Tong was MP for the constituency, the flag was also a tribute to Mr Goh and his successor as MP, Manpower Minister Tan See Leng, he added.

In a Facebook post on Wednesday (15 Jan), Dr Tan said he was “super proud” of Mr Yusof, describing his ascent as an “amazing and most admirable achievement”.

Mr Yusof also felt pride when seeing the flag fly at Everest Base Camp, saying:

Looking back now, it fits beautifully with PAP 70. That’s my humble gift to the Party – 25 years later.

He unfurled Young PAP flag atop Mount Kilimanjaro in 1997

My Yusof’s first trek to Everest Base Camp was in 1999, when he also visited Kala Patthar.

That time, he brought along a Singapore flag, he said.

Thus, he and his friends decided to revisit the journey 25 years later “to see if we could still accomplish it”.

That 1990 trek was just one of 15 expeditions he’d embarked on. One of the notable ones was a climb up Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania in August 1997, when he was Assistant Secretary of the PAP Marine Parade branch and a member of the Young PAP Executive Committee.

After successfully scaling the peak, he unfurled a Young PAP flag.

Source: Petir.sg

He’s planning more treks

Mr Yusof is not done with climbing — he plans to trek to the K2 Base Camp in Pakistan and up the Mardi Himal peak in Nepal.

He said his trips have taught him valuable lessons relevant to being a PAP activist and grassroots leader.

For example, just like he looks out and cares for fellow climbers during an expedition, he serves the community with a similar spirit of compassion.

When facing challenges while serving the community, he remembers his experiences of difficulties during his treks, he added, saying:

When residents face setbacks in their appeals, I share with them these perspectives.

Also read: Group of S’poreans drive cars from S’pore to Mt Everest, journey took 22 days

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Featured image adapted from Petir.sg.