PEDALING PAST 70: MALAYSIAN DUO CYCLES TO CHINA, STRENGTHENING TIES AND SHATTERING STEREOTYPES

BANGKOK, July 19 (Bernama) -- Two septuagenarians are proof that age is just a number when they embarked on an epic journey of cycling from Malaysia to China in good course of strengthening the diplomatic ties between the two nations.

Currently in Thailand are two Malaysian retirees, Teng Choon Kwang, 73, from Shah Alam, and his cycling companion, Tiong Ting Ming, 72, from Manjung, who commenced their journey from Bentong, Pahang on June 30.

Tiong said that for this journey, their daily routine is to cycle an average of about 100km a day, as they aim to reach Beijing by September 30 – the day before China celebrates its 75th National Day on October 1.

“Every day, we will wake up around 6 am. After breakfast, we will inspect our bike and start cycling around 7 am, following the directions of our GPS. We need to set it to avoid any hilly terrain or slopes.

"We will stop for meals along the way and every week, we will take a day off to rest and recuperate," he told Bernama when met at Samut Prakan province recently.

They are commemorating the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Malaysia and China, established on May 31, 1974.

Tiong said their plan is to enter Laos by July 21, reach Vietnam by July 26, and cross to China on Aug 3, but this schedule is subject to change according to the cycling journey.

"Our journey has been influenced by weather, but our greatest concern is still the traffic, which is dangerous in some parts of this region and will tend to slow us down, too," he said.

However, when asked about their safety and why they would embark on such a dangerous journey, Teng said that besides commemorating the diplomatic ties between the two nations, he also wanted to prove that age is just a number and that everyone should pursue what they have always wanted to achieve.

"My personal philosophy is that I do not want to wait for death to come. Instead, we (should) go on an adventure looking for death...knowing that it is actually quite dangerous to cycle across a few countries, over thousands of kilometres.

"A lot of people at our age are happily retired and some even don't know what to do at this age. For us, we are here to challenge ourselves to cycle to Beijing in good course and hope this will convey a friendship message to Beijing and the China government," he said.

Teng highlighted that they have to personally finance the travel to China, which can be as high as RM30,000, since they were not able to secure any sponsorship.

On June 30, Teng and Tiong's cycling journey was flagged off by Investment, Trade, and Industry Deputy Minister Liew Chin Tong.

Also present were President of the Malaysia-China Friendship Association, Datuk Abdul Majid Khan, and veteran politician Tan Sri Lim Kit Siang.

-- BERNAMA