Jamaluddin Ismail is not your ordinary grandfather.
The 67-year-old entered the Malaysia Book of Records as the country’s oldest BASE jumper three years ago and is still going strong.
BASE stands for buildings, antenna (radio masts), spans (bridges), and earth (cliffs).
Next year, Jamaluddin hopes to finally realise his dream of jumping off the tallest tower in the world – the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates. The Burj Khalifa stands at 828m tall.
“I was supposed to go in 2020, then last year, but could not go because of Covid-19,” said Jamaluddin, who also took part in the 2017 SEA Games opening ceremony.
“I will be the oldest person to BASE jump from Burj Khalifa when I do it.”
Jamaluddin was among the participants of Kuantan 188’s International Extreme Challenge, which was part of its Merdeka Day celebrations.
There were 65 jumps from multiple jumpers – local and foreign – carrying the Kuantan 188, Pahang, and Malaysian flags, commemorating 65 years of independence.
The jumps started at 9pm on Aug 30, with the last one at the stroke of midnight on Aug 31 – the country’s independence day.
“When asked to be a part of the event, I did not hesitate, as I wanted to do something to honour the country’s independence,” said Jamaluddin, who was born in Mentakab, Pahang, located some 135km east of Kuala Lumpur.
“I felt proud to be a part of the event, especially carrying the Malaysian flag. It is a fun activity and a good way to demonstrate our pride in this country.”
Jamaluddin, who was a member of the 21st Special Service Group (SSG) commando unit, said he had completed over 3,000 jumps.
“The greatest thrill I had was jumping out of an airplane at 25,000 feet (7,620 metres),” said the widower.
“That is known as HALO – high altitude, low opening – jump, where you free-fall for more than a minute, sometimes close to 90 seconds, before opening the parachute.
“It is an exhilarating rush.
“I started skydiving in 1980, but I always tell myself that I am still learning. It is always better to remain grounded – pun not intended – when involved in any sport.
“Some consider jumping out of airplanes dangerous, but it is quite safe if you follow all the checklists – before and after, you get on the plane.”
Asked what motivates him to continue BASE jumping at his age, Jamaluddin replied: “As long as I can, I will continue to jump off buildings or from a plane.”
“I do it to ‘feel alive’ and to show people that we Malaysians can do anything we want. I am proud to be a Malaysian ‘daredevil’ and also proud to be a Malay.
“As the saying goes, Malays will not disappear from the face of the earth,” he added.
