The Malaysia Everest 2023 (ME 2023) mission team has appealed to the Nepali government to issue an official declaration of death for climber Hawari Hashim, who went missing on Mount Everest three years ago.
Expedition leader Salleh Nor said the request had been conveyed to Nepal’s acting ambassador to Malaysia, Mudita Bajracharya, to assist Hawari’s family in resolving matters related to insurance claims, employment and official documentation.
According to Salleh, no formal declaration has been issued despite Hawari’s disappearance in May 2023.
Appeal submitted through diplomatic channels
Salleh said the matter was raised with the acting ambassador, who had agreed to help facilitate the process.
“We have raised the matter with the Nepali acting ambassador, who has agreed to assist. The next step is to submit an official letter to the Nepali government for its consideration,” he told reporters during the World Everest Day 2026 celebration yesterday.
Hawari, 33, a hearing-impaired climber employed at the Penang Museum, successfully reached the summit of Mount Everest on May 19, 2023. He was reported missing the following day while descending from Camp 4.
Medical report supports application
During the same expedition, Kedah Civil Defence Force director Awang Askandar Ampuan Yaacub died while receiving treatment at Camp 4, approximately 8,000m above sea level.
Salleh said the expedition team had earlier submitted a medical report to the Malaysian embassy in Kathmandu to support the application for Hawari’s official declaration of death.
The report, prepared by Mountain Medical Institute chief medical officer Abhyu G, concluded that the likelihood of prolonged survival in the Everest summit region was extremely low.
Search efforts hampered by extreme conditions
The report noted that the area is located within the “Death Zone” above 8,000m, where oxygen levels are insufficient to sustain human life for extended periods. Even with supplementary oxygen, climbers face severe risks of altitude-related illnesses.
In 2024, a reward of US$5,000 was offered for information that could assist efforts to determine Hawari’s whereabouts.
Veteran climbers also pointed out that the steep slopes of nearby Mount Lhotse and the extreme conditions near the summit significantly complicated search operations.
Official records relating to Mount Everest fatalities show that more than 340 climbers have died since expeditions began in the 1920s. Most of those considered lost perished within the “Death Zone”, and many of their bodies have never been recovered.
