Thoughts from Tan Sri Azman Hashim

Thoughts from
Tan Sri Azman Hashim

Why Risk So Much to Climb at 84?

People always ask me the same question when they find out that I am climbing Mt Kinabalu again “Why are you doing it only now at the age of 84?”

Of course I know these friends are all well-meaning. I am the adventurous and entrepreneur type for example I like speed which I have done on sports cars, jet skis, power boats and I also do scuba diving and horse riding. I guess these type of risks including climbing Mount Kinabalu is already part of my life.

I did my first climb 13 years ago when I was 71 years old and that time I told myself I will try to do a repeat at 80 years. When I was 80 years, I had a minor medical operation and had to wait. This year at 84 years old when I felt normal and healthy and really had no excuse not to attempt the second climb which I had promised myself when I was 71. I guess my main purpose is to prove to myself that I am still healthy to do it.

Teaming with the Right Person

Then I decided to get the one person who knows Mt Kinabalu intimately and whom I have seen in action before. His planning is excellent and his leadership on the mountain immaculate. His patience and belief in others make most people who climb with him reach the top.

With the confidence in Hock Siew knowing he will do the right things and choose the right guides and right arrangements, I started the climb on 30 October 2023.

The Power of
Positive Belief

I like Hock Siew’s absolutely positive approach. He says, “we don’t think of failure on the climb!”. It is our mind that first decides our success and in my corporate journey in AmBank, I have always followed a similar positive line of approach.

Did I Prepare Well Enough?

I started with some fear and trepidation. There was always the question of whether I had trained enough and whether my body would be able to take the rigours of the climb.

Breaking Our Mental Chains

Allow me to encourage Nonagenarians and Octagenarians to break the mental chains that so often hold us back from doing things of note in our lives.

It is time for us to realise that our attitude is the most important factor in our lives going forward. A great positive attitude would require us us to put aside the terrible negatives of complaints and resentment to our family and loved ones. When we complain of aches and pains and degenerative issues, it will grow on us.

Resetting Our Benchmarks

It is time for us to reset our benchmarks so that we can renew our minds again and again. I pray with humility that my climb up Mt Kinabalu will inspire many Seniors to go for new summits in their lives.

Happy and relieved to reach the summit.