The expedition, dubbed “Everest Base Camp (EBC) Mountaineering De Femina”, was flagged off by women, family and community development minister Rina Harun at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) here this morning.

Speaking to reporters after flagging off the expedition, Rina hoped the spirit displayed by the climbers would inspire as well as motivate other women.

She said their success would also prove that women could do anything they set their minds to.

Rina said the expedition involved climbers from various backgrounds, including civil servants and students.

Expedition leader Assoc Prof Farha Abdol Ghapar said all the climbers, aged 22 to 56, were eager to start their mission which had been delayed since 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

“We have made all the preparations since 2019. Prior to the pandemic, we underwent training by scaling several mountains inside and outside the country, including in the Philippines.

“When we reach the EBC, which sits at 5,364m (above sea level), we will lay out a giant T-shirt of the size 250XL to gain entry in the Malaysia Book of Records,” she said.