Rescued Croatian hiker fined RM25,000 over Mount Kinabalu climb says trespassing was ‘last thing on my mind’

KOTA KINABALU, Sept 20 — Croatian hiker Mauro Persic, who was fined RM25,000 for trespassing into Kinabalu Park, has denied deliberately entering the mountain without permission or trying to avoid paying the entry fee.

The 46-year-old, who lives in London, said his climb was spontaneous and driven by his desire to explore Mount Kinabalu after seeing its beauty firsthand.

“I did not want to trespass nor avoid paying entry fees, that was the last thing on my mind. All I wanted to do was explore the captivating beauty of Kinabalu the moment I saw it,” he said in a Facebook post a day after Malaysia Day.

“As I have done many times before in different places around the globe. I did it on a spur of a moment and did not put enough thought and consideration to it. My sincere apologies for this.”

Persic also apologised to Sabahans who felt he had disrespected them, saying he had no intention of offending the state’s people, culture or the mountain.

“I would like to make an apology to all the people of Sabah who feel that I have disrespected them. I never meant any disrespect to people, culture nor mountain,” he said.

“People of Sabah have treated me like one of their own and I have only words of praise for them.”

Persic said he had also tried to respect the environment during the climb, claiming he left no trace behind and avoided climbing major peaks because of their sacred significance to the Kadazan-Dusun community.

“However, I have been as respectful as ever to the environment, leaving no trace behind and not climbing on top of any major peaks out of respect for sacred meaning that the mountain holds for Kadazan-Dusun people,” he said.

He said he did not consider his climb a conquest of Mount Kinabalu, questioning the idea of “conquering” mountains.

“Lastly, I did not conquer Kinabalu (nor any other mountain for that matter) and I find this commonly quoted concept wrong on so many levels,” he said.

“We might spend a fleeting moment on a peak but the mountain will remain there long after we’re gone. Besides, why would one need to conquer anyways?”

Persic’s unauthorised climb came to light on Sept 6 after he sent an SOS when he was injured and stranded on a ledge along a steep slope.

A five-day rescue operation involving 43 personnel eventually brought him to safety, with a porter carrying him down the mountain after rescuers faced steep terrain, rain and poor visibility.

Persic sustained injuries to his right leg and ribs, as well as minor wounds to his hands.

He ended his post with a message for Malaysians: “I wish Happy Malaysia Day to all Malaysians, wherever they might be!”