In today’s edition of SEATIzens, we feature Jvy Mius, a Sabahan TikToker native to Borneo in East Malaysia. Mr. Mius is a porter for a living and showcases it to the world through his social media platforms. He traverses the length of Mt. Kinabalu from the base at Timpohon Gate to the peak at Laban Rata. Get to know his amazing story
A Calling That Was a Long Time Coming
Mr. Mius on the way to the top of Mt. Kinabalu | Source: Jvy Mius Instagram
Have you ever played Hideo Kojima’s “Death Stranding?” It gets so frustrating trying to attach your anchors to give you leverage to climb up. But to top it all off, carrying all those excruciatingly heavy packages up a mountain and trekking through difficult weather makes the game difficult and exhilarating at the same time. The 28-year-old porter is a testament to that since he transports sizable goods up the state’s tallest mountain.
Mr. Mius is used to it, though. As a child, he walked 1.3 kilometers to reach his school, which was 850 meters above sea level. And, having lived in Kampung Waang with an altitude of 950 meters, he trained his whole life to become a porter. In actuality, he became a porter both by choice and need. After getting a knee injury, his father had to retire early. Mr. Mius had to take up the mantle to help alleviate the financial burden of their family of six. However, most porters are only paid between RM 2,000 (USD 462.11) and RM 4,800 (USD 1,118.36) per month, and that depends on the load.
A Hard Day’s Work Pays Off
Mr. Mius atop Mr. Kinabalu peak
Path to Mr. Kinabalu Peak
View from Mt. Kinabalu Peak
Source: Jvy Mius Instagram
Ascending Mt. Kinabalu Park is no easy feat. Every time porters hike up, they often carry items for lodging, kitchen essentials (gas tanks and the like), and even construction materials, depending on the need. The Persatuan Porter Gunung Kinabalu Sabah (PPGKS), an association of porters, collaborates with people like Mr. Mius to have these tasks done. Sometimes they’d even trek the mountain for five hours straight without stops to get the items to the destination needed.
Porters begin their work day at the crack of dawn and often have a salabit, which is attached to their forehead, waist, and shoulders to help evenly distribute the weight. It genuinely helps ease the discomfort as well as make the trek easier, especially since some paths are muddy and slippery. Balance is essential because if one item gets damaged, the porters shoulder the expense, so ensuring that the items are safely delivered is a must. Experienced porters are needed up the peak since when you reach around 1,869m to 3,286m, the air quality is thinner and can cause sickness.
Despite that, Mr. Minus perseveres and makes sure to show his journey up the mountain to raise awareness for his job as well as the beautiful view of the mountains. It’s one of the most fulfilling parts of his job. “The ‘burdens’ melt away the moment you set your gaze upon the beautiful landscape. It’s therapeutic to the mind and soul,” he shares.
A Porter’s Responsibility
Jvy Mius Trekking Up Mt. Kinabalu
During the 2015 earthquake that hit Kota Kinabalu, Mr. Mius was one of the porters who assisted the rescue teams both with the rescuing of survivors and carrying down the bodies of the deceased. Mr. Mius also shared that picking up trash of irresponsible visitors and meeting friendly hikers helps ease the load of his work. “It gives me a spark of hope. The hikers I meet are friendly and often eager to take photos with me. Earlier this year, I even had chance encounters with popular personalities like Indonesian TikTok influencer Farida Nurhan and Malaysian TV presenter Hawa Rizwana Redzuan,” said Mr. Mius.
While being a porter is a heavy responsibility to bear, Jvy Mius does so with grace and balance, just as he does in his everyday work. He is also active on Instagram and TikTok, where he shares his daily life, showing us how he is a testament to climbing for your dreams and making your passion into a job that contributes to the common good of all.
SEA Wave Magazine’s SEAtizens initiative is a series of inspiring stories of people in Southeast Asia who champion the human spirit by demonstrating courage, ingenuity, generosity, and selflessness.
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